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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 684

(x) A Great War M.M. group of three awarded to Corporal J. Nicolle, South African Corps of Signals

Military Medal, G.V.R. (4817 Cpl. J. Nicolle. S.A.E.); British War and bilingual Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaves (Cpl. J. Nicolle. S.A.C.S. C.R.E.), very fine and better (3)

M.M. London Gazette 6 August 1918.

Jersey Cooper Nicolle was born on 16 November 1891 at Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa, the son of John George Nicolle who was born on Jersey in 1858. An electrical telegraph linesman with the South African Railways, Nicolle attested at Potchefstroom for the South African Engineers on 28 August 1915 and embarked for England on 17 April 1916. His wife Clara appears to have later joined him in England, her new address noted as 4 Grafton Street, City Road, Cambridge.

Appointed Lance Corporal on 23 February 1917, Nicolle was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 28 December 1917, refers) and was awarded the Military Medal by family repute for 'keeping the telegraph communications going under heavy fire'. Following the cessation of hostilities Nicolle was sent to depot at St. Albans and Hitchin, Leeds, before finally returning home to Cape Town aboard the Kenilworth Castle on 16 August 1919, being discharged at Maitland a month later. In later life Nicolle worked as Inspector of Telegraphs for the S.A. Railways, before dying at Pretoria from heart failure one day before his retirement in 1962; sold with original M.I.D. Certificate, copied service record and group photograph of the recipient.


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Sold for
£550

Starting price
£140