Arthur Frederick Crane Nicholls
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Arthur Frederick Crane Nicholls, GC
, ERD
(1911—1944) was awarded the George Cross
for gallantry and leadership on active service with the Special Operations Executive
in Albania
in 1944. He is the only member of the Coldstream Guards
to have won the medal.
Nicholls was born in Hampstead
on February 6, 1911. He attended Shardlow Hall
, Marlborough College
in Wiltshire
, studied law at Cambridge University and was commissioned into the 86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry
) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery
, Territorial Army as a second lieutenant
in August 1933, promoted lieutenant
on 3 August 1936 and transferred to the Coldstream Guards
(Supplementary Reserve) in May 1937. He was mobilised in 1939, went to France
with the 2nd Battalion and was then posted to the Headquarters of the First Division as an Intelligence
Officer to make best use of his knowledge of foreign languages.
He joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in March 1942 as a Staff Officer and, in October 1943 parachuted into Albania
to serve as Staff Officer to Brigadier 'Trotsky' Davis with the task of inciting resistance to the German occupation and tying down enemy forces.
Their Headquarters was attacked by enemy forces in January 1944 and they escaped to the mountains, pursued by the Germans and local militia. Davis was wounded and captured on January 8, 1944. Nicholls led the remains of the party to safety through dreadful winter weather. He suffered severe frostbite during the escape and had to have both his feet amputated, after this he was transported by being dragged on his greatcoat. He died from his wounds on February 11, 1944 at the age of 33, after managing to make a final report on the situation in Albania to British authorities. He is commemorated in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission
cemetery, the Tirana
Park Memorial Cemetery. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1 June 1944.
His George Cross was gazetted
on 26 February 1946, and dated 1 March 1946. The citation reads:
Research after his death by Lance Corporal
Ian Tindall found that Nicholls was also entitled to receive the Emergency Reserve Decoration
. His daughter applied and the award was gazetted in the London Gazette
47 years after he died in Albania, on November 26, 1991. All of Nicholls's medals have been presented to his regiment by his daughter.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Arthur Frederick Crane Nicholls, GC
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
, ERD
Emergency Reserve Decoration
The Emergency Reserve Decoration is a British military decoration, instituted in 1952. It has a dark blue ribbon, with a yellow central stripe.Recipients may use the letters ERD after their name....
(1911—1944) was awarded the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for gallantry and leadership on active service with the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in 1944. He is the only member of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
to have won the medal.
Nicholls was born in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
on February 6, 1911. He attended Shardlow Hall
Shardlow Hall (school)
* For the 17th century country house see Shardlow Hall, DerbyshireShardlow Hall was a school in Shardlow, a village seven miles south of Derby in the English Midlands. It was founded by B.O.Corbett, who had played football for England, as a preparatory school for boys...
, Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, studied law at Cambridge University and was commissioned into the 86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry
Hertfordshire Yeomanry
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry is a British Army unit specializing in artillery and yeomanry that can trace its formation to the late 18th century. First seeing service in the Boer War, it subsequently served in both World Wars....
) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, Territorial Army as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in August 1933, promoted lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 3 August 1936 and transferred to the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
(Supplementary Reserve) in May 1937. He was mobilised in 1939, went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the 2nd Battalion and was then posted to the Headquarters of the First Division as an Intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
Officer to make best use of his knowledge of foreign languages.
He joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in March 1942 as a Staff Officer and, in October 1943 parachuted into Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to serve as Staff Officer to Brigadier 'Trotsky' Davis with the task of inciting resistance to the German occupation and tying down enemy forces.
Their Headquarters was attacked by enemy forces in January 1944 and they escaped to the mountains, pursued by the Germans and local militia. Davis was wounded and captured on January 8, 1944. Nicholls led the remains of the party to safety through dreadful winter weather. He suffered severe frostbite during the escape and had to have both his feet amputated, after this he was transported by being dragged on his greatcoat. He died from his wounds on February 11, 1944 at the age of 33, after managing to make a final report on the situation in Albania to British authorities. He is commemorated in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
cemetery, the Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
Park Memorial Cemetery. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1 June 1944.
His George Cross was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 26 February 1946, and dated 1 March 1946. The citation reads:
Research after his death by Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
Ian Tindall found that Nicholls was also entitled to receive the Emergency Reserve Decoration
Emergency Reserve Decoration
The Emergency Reserve Decoration is a British military decoration, instituted in 1952. It has a dark blue ribbon, with a yellow central stripe.Recipients may use the letters ERD after their name....
. His daughter applied and the award was gazetted in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
47 years after he died in Albania, on November 26, 1991. All of Nicholls's medals have been presented to his regiment by his daughter.