Gunner Frederick Cyril Nicholson
“A” Coy, 11th Battalion, Tank Corps
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 1893
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: 2 September 1918 aged 25
Buried: Dury Crucifix Cemetery, France.Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth, Devon
Awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Gunner Frederick Cyril Nicholson age 25.
Known as Cyril he was born in 1893 the youngest son of Francis and Maud Nicholson of Teignmouth.
In 1901 the family were living at 22 Bickford’s Lane.
He previously worked for Messrs. Eastman Limited and was noted as the husband of Mrs A Nicholson.
On 1911 census he was living at 28 Bitton Avenue with his widowed mother and sisters whilst working as a butcher’s assistant.
His medal record shows that he enlisted at Ealing, Middlesex with the Middlesex regiment, service number 5018, later transferring to the Tank Corps, having joined at the outbreak of war.
Tank Corps Cap Badge
Cyril was serving with “A” Coy, 11th Battalion, Tank Corps, service number 95039, when he was killed in action* on 2 September 1918. Buried in Dury Crucifix Cemetery, France.Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth.
Grave Inscription reads: “Pray For Me”.
He was killed in action in France. Joining at the outbreak of war, previously wounded three times, he went to the front for the second time 12 months ago.
Letter from commanding officer reports that he was killed instantaneously by a shell hitting his tank.”
Teignmouth Post on 13 September
*“4 Tanks attacked and captured DrocourtQueant line between Dury and Eperpigny”. Excerpt from Tank Corps War Diary for this day.
