Lieutenant Edward Nicholson, MC, MiD

Member Profile

By BGen (Ret) Lloyd Skaalen

“Ed” was born March 24, 1913 at Morse, Sask. The family moved to Vancouver in 1919 so he gained most of his education there, including some time with the Seaforth Cadets. That is when he became interested and an expert at rifle shooting.

In April 1930, at the age of 17, Ed joined “B” Company, PPCLI at Work Point Barracks, Esquimalt, and served for six years before catching “gold fever.” He left the Army for about two years to search for gold in the Yukon, but rejoined his Regiment in 1938. He promptly resumed his interest in rifle marksmanship and was selected for the 1939 Bisley team.

However, the war intervened. Ed was posted to other units for training as a signaler in Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, and Dundurn where he became a signals instructor. At Three Rivers, Que. he was promoted to Lieutenant and proceeded for further training at McGill University, at St Jean, at the Signals Centre in Kingston, Ont., and at Debert, NS. Ed was posted overseas in January 1943 where he joined the Saskatoon Light Infantry as signals officer at Beck's Hill (southeast of London). Shortly, that unit was sent to the west coast of Scotland for embarkation and shipped out on a Royal Navy frigate in July 1943 to Sicily for the Italian campaign.

During operations in northern Italy while unit mortar officer, a mortar shell wounded Ed. He refused evacuation and thus received his “Mention in Dispatches.”

Subsequently, his unit proceeded through southern France to Holland where, in early 1945, Ed was assigned to the 48^th (Toronto Regiment) Black Watch at Apeldoorn. There, a sniper from a tower killed his colonel and his platoon engaged the enemy. His personal actions led, not only to the rescue of 12 Dutch citizens from a burning house, but with their guidance, to the location of, and destruction of the enemy by his unit. For this action, Edward Nicholson received the Military Cross, and the everlasting gratefulness of two Dutch families.

Soon afterwards, Ed was severely wounded in an action at Eisel River, near Apeldoorn while attacking a German Cavalry Barracks. He was evacuated to a hospital in England and returned to Canada on a hospital ship, the Lady Nelson. A lengthy train ride to Vancouver and Shaughnessy Hospital followed, where his multiple wounds were finally repaired over a period of 18 months.

Ed was medically discharged in 1946 and rejoined his wife, Grace, in Victoria. There he tried his hand as a weaver for a time, then in 1949, joined the Supply Depot at HMC Dockyard Esquimalt as a clerk. With several promotions in the civil service, Ed continued that occupation until full retirement in 1973.

Ed joined RUSI VI in 1974 and has been a valued member ever since. We salute Edward Nicholson who is now in his 90^th year and enjoying relatively good health considering the severity of his injuries suffered in the cause of defending British and European freedom. _

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