STRANGE COINCIDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3962, 29 June 1929, Page 2

STRANGE COINCIDENCE.

TOUCHING THE IDENTITY OF A VJC. HERO. FATHER LIVES AT MOUTOA. A remarkable coincidence occurred in a local hotel on Thursday afternoon. Two returned men were discussing the Great War and one of them, who bad been a member of the 'Canterbury Regiment, referred to 'the fact that the First Battalion of that Regiment had produced a Victoria Cross winner but he was unable to recall his name. Talk drifted to the fighting which occurred around Le Quesnov in October, 1918, when an elderly man nearby happened to remark that he had unintentionally oVerh'eard the conversation on the •war and informed the Diggers that lie was the possessor of a Victoria Cross, which had been won ivy his son who had been killed during the fighting around Le Quesnoy in 1918. Asked what his name was the strangefr replied that his son was Henry James Nicholas, the name of the (man the other two had been trying to think of.

Private 11. J. Nicholas received the decoration at the hands of Hi 3 Majesty the King for 'most conspicuous bravery .and devotion to duty in attack. He was one of a Lewis gun section which had orders to form a defensive flank to the right of the advance at Dickebusch on December 3rd, 1917. The advance was subsequently checked by heavy machine gun and rifle fire from an eniejmy strong point, Whereupon Private Nicholas rushed forward alone, shot the offi|eer-in-com-mand of the strong point and overcame the remainder of the garrison of sixteen by means of bombs and bayonet, capturing foul* wounded prisoners and a malchine gun. He captured the strong point single handed and thereby saved many casualties. After alccomplishing this feat and when the advance had icached its limit Private Nicholas collected almmunition under heavy male him?-gun and rifle fire. The report on his actions during the advance contains the following words: “Private Nicholas’ exceptional valour and coolness throughout the operations afforded an inspiring example to all.” Private Nicholas received his decoration from King George in January of the following year and was promoted to Sergeant. He was al,so awarded, at a later date, the Military Medal, but ten days before the Armistice was signed, during the fighting around Le Quesnoy Sergeant FI. J. Nicholas, V.C., M.M., was killed.

Mr. Nicholas sin*., is now a re si dent of Moutoa.