NICOL, Hector
| Service Number: | 312 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Australian Flying Corps (AFC) |
| Born: | Maheno, Waitaki, Otago, New Zealand, 11 May 1887 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Operating Porter |
| Died: | Accidental - fractured base of skull, Salisbury Infirmary, Wiltshire, England, 16 October 1918, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
St Lawrence Churchyard, Wiltshire, England Grave No. 136 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 312, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 312, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 312, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, HMAT Orsova, Melbourne | |
| 18 Sep 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps | |
| 1 Mar 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps | |
| 28 Nov 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps | |
| 28 Feb 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps | |
| 20 Apr 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps (AFC) | |
| 16 Oct 1918: | Involvement Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: Australian Flying Corps awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-10-16 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 16th September.....Lieutenant Hector Nicol was born at Maheno, Waitaki, Otago, New Zealand in 1887. He married Rose Barton in New Zealand in 1908.
The 1913, 1914, 1915 & 1917 Australian Electoral Rolls for the division of Gippsland, subdivision of Warragul listed Herbert Nicol, Railway employee, of Darnum, Victoria. His wife – Rose Nicol was only listed on 1913 & 1914 Rolls with her husband.
Hector Nicol enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 6th December, 1915 as a 29 year old, married, Railway Operating Porter from Laverton, Victoria.
Air Mechanic (Private) Hector Nicol was posted to “C” Flight, No. 1 Australian Flying Corps on 24th January, 1916. He embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Orsova (A67) on 16th March, 1916 with the No. 1 Squadron, Flying Corps “C” Flight & disembarked at Suez on 14th April, 1916.
Promoted to Corporal 18th September, 1916 then Acting Sergeant from 16th December, 1916. He returned to England on 30th January, 1917 & was to be Sergeant from 1st March, 1917.
Sergeant Hector Nicol was to be Flight Sergeant from 7th March, 1917 (Authority 24th Wing, R.F.C.).
Flight Sergeant Hector Nicol proceeded overseas to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Southampton on 29th July, 1917 & later returned to England.
Flight Sergeant Hector Nicol reported to Wireless Testing Park at Biggan Hill on 5th November, 1917 to qualify as Wireless Equipment Officer & was appointed Cadet. Having graduated he was appointed Equipment Officer Class 3 & was to be 2nd Lieutenant from 28th November, 1917.
2nd Lieutenant Hector Nicol was to be Lieutenant & Equipment Officer Class 2 from 28th February, 1918.
Lieutenant Hector Nicol proceeded overseas to France via Folkestone with No. 22 Squadron, R.F.C. on 14th March, 1918. He proceeded to join Home Establishment from 30th March, 1918.
Lieutenant Nicol was sent to 7th Training Squadron at Leighterton on 15th April, 1918; later attended R.A.F. School of Wireless on 5th June, 1918. Posted to 11th Training Depot Station on 12th August, 1918 then 33rd Training Depot Station on 4th September, 1918.
Lieutenant Hector Nicol died on 16th ** (date listed by CWGC & Australian War Memorial) October, 1918 at Salisbury Infirmary, Wiltshire, England from fractured base of skull from a motor accident.
(** there are discrepancies with the date of death - death certificate recorded 18th October, 1918 - Ernest Mould, the Registrar of Deaths, Salisbury wrote to The Commandant, Administrative Headquarters, Australian Imperial Force on 26th February, 1919 regarding Lieutenant Nicol & stated “…I beg to inform you that the date of death should be the 15th October as stated by you but the Coroner made a mistake so I have no legal authority to alter the same…”)
Details of inquest can be found in my full research.
Lieutenant Hector Nicol was buried St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Stratford-sub-Castle, Wiltshire, England where 25 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
(Churchyard & headstone photos courtesy of The Venerable Alan Jeans, Archdeacon of Sarum)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/stratford-sub-castle.html
Click images to start slideshow.