Title
Photograph album and scrapbook relating to Geoffrey Ware Nichols war time service. (Please note: loose indicates an item that is not attached to the album)
- Inside sleeve at front of album gives chronology of Nichols regiment and ranking details...'105 (by) Field Regiment R.A. 417th Field Battery R.A. Called up at Bedford September 1st 1939. Became 52nd Heavy regiment R.A. at Thornbury, near Bristol Dec 1939'...'L/Ba - Oct 1940; 2nd Lieutenant - Nov 1941; Lieutenant - Dec 1942; Demobilised - Nov 19 1945.'
- Inside sleeve at back of album gives a chronology of Nichols movements with his regiment...
'To Thornbury - Nov 20 1939; To Fleurbaix - Mar 29 1940; From Dunkirk - May 30 1940; To Blandford - May 30 1940; To Larkhill - June 5 1940; To Colwyn Bay - June 13 1940; To Carnarvon - June 22 1940; To Portishead - June 29 1940; To Lepe Point - Sep 25 1940; To Brixham - Aug 17 1941; To Plymouth - Sep 20 1941; To Llandudno - Oct 26 1941; To Portsmouth - Dec 6 1941; To Woolwich - Apr 13 1942; To Woolwich - May 5 1942; In Durban - Jun 6/Jul 11 1942; In Bombay - Aug 15 1942; R.A. Base M.E.F. Nov 22 1942; Palestine - July/Aug 1943; M.E.F - Aug 1943 (Benghazi); Dodecanese - Feb 1945 (Simi); Palestine - Aug 1945; Home, demobilised - Nov 19 1945.
Home on leave: Dec 12 1939, Jan 20-25 1940, Mar 6-8 1940, June 6-8 1940, June 14-21 1940, Aug 27-Sep 3 1940, Jan 8-15 1941; Feb 17-19 1941; Apr 2-9 1941 (wedding); Oct 23-26 1941; Nov 29-Dec 6 1941; Jan 6-7 1942; Jan 21 1942; Feb 9-11 1942; Mar 2-9 1942; Apr 11 1942 (recalled same day) Apr 14-25 1942; Apr 26 1942; Apr 28- May 5 (7 days embarkation leave).'
Album Includes:
- Shoreham Camp between July and August 1939. Soldiers pictured include: F.G. Carter, S. Quail, Cole, Trethewy, S. Duncan, Chibnall and Sergeant Inskip.
- Training at Bedford September and November 1939.
- Personal photographs during Christmas leave 1939, including pictures of Geoffrey, Heather Sherwood and the family dog Whisk.
- Photograph of R.M. Nichols of the 427 searchlight battery, R.A. Birmingham standing alongside O.B. Nichols.
- Photograph of Lieutenant Corporal E.O. Nichols of 518 Supply Col., 48th division, R.A.S.C.
- On leave January 1940 including pictures of Sapper Smith, Starmer & Rowley in uniform.
- Photograph outside YMCA tent at Kineton Hall, Thornbury.
- Soldiers digging at Fleurbaix, France in April 1940; pictured alongside Nichols are Quail, Bay and Marston.
- Personal sketch of house at Thoret, near Lille.
- Newspaper cut outs relating to the Dunkirk expedition, including a poem commemorating the event and a report on the Kentish village of Headcorn feeding hundreds and thousands of B.E.F. men returning from Dunkirk.
- Extract from Beds Times (29th Aug 1940) reporting that Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Comerford of the 52nd Bedfordshire Yeomanry Heavy Regiment (RA) was to be awarded the distinguished service order. Includes a detailed description of how the regiment held the canal at St. Momelin when the Germans invaded Belguim.
- On leave after Dunkirk expedition between June and August 1940. Includes photographs of G.W. Nichols with his father and Heather.
- Photograph of Nichols and gunner Gibson at Portishead, Somerset.
- Postcards of church and a thatch cottage at Weston in Gordano, Somerset.
- Personal sketch of how the British coastal defences at Lepe Point, Southampton were lined up and arranged between September 1940 and August 1941. Details where Bill, Church and Gibson were stationed in relation to 'us; and the beach and sea.
- Wedding outside St. Pauls, Bedford on the 3rd April 1941. Includes a photograph of Nichols outside church with G. Denning and another with his new wife Heather Violet Nichols (nee Sherwood).
- Photograph of Nichols in uniform at Llandudno, North Wales in October 1941 complimented by newspaper cut out from Beds Times dated 5th Dec 1941 reading... 'Five former members of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry were commissioned in the same day at a Royal Artillery O.T.C.U. recently. They were Sec. Lieuts. G.W. Nichols (a member of Bedford Rowing Club), A.F. Perdue (who has played for Bedford Athletic R.F.C.), D.B. Simpson (a member of the editorial staff of the Bedfordshire Times and Standard) J.H. White & E.T. Pearce. Sec.-Lieuts. Nichols, Perdue and White are old Bedfordians.
- (Loose) Military post card addressed to Nichols father F.W. Nichols of 1 Winifred Road, Bedford and post marked 31st May 1940 - nothing recorded.
- (Loose) Post card 'from active service' addressed to his parents Mr and Mrs Nichols of 1 Winifred Bedford. Postmarked 31st May 1940 and reading…...'Dear folks, just to let you know that we are here again and very glad of it. You must not of got yesterdays card. May phone you up one day soon, expecting leave shortly feeling very well and all ok. P.S. can't get any stamps my present address is only temporary'.
- (Loose) Military travel brochure for Durban, South Africa.
- Large photograph of soldiers operating heavy artillery at Llandudno set against the welsh coast and coastline.
- Durban in June 1942 including postcards showing West Street and a photograph of Nichols in a garden.
- Bombay in Aug 1942 including postcard and two pictures of Nichols in gardens.
- Photographs of Nichols in uniform in August 1942 and November 1942.
- Decorated Christmas note sent to Nichol's mother dated 20th April 1943.
- Libyan currency note sent from M.E.F. (Middle Eastern Forces) at Libyan desert.
- Photographs of Palestine including Herod's Wall, Damascus Gate and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and the Church of all nations at Gethsemane.
- Photographs of Nichol's 9 months old son John and his wife Heather dated 13th Sep 1943.
- (Loose) Two personal sketches depicting boat scenes titled 'Malabar Coast' October 1942 & 'Progress' November 1942.
- Christmas cards sent to Heather & family from Bombay at Christmas 1942. Cards depict the Ravee River in India one hundred years ago and the Stone bridge over the River Soor, Indore.
- Birthday card sent to Nichol's dad from Libya in November 1943. Card reads 'greetings from Egypt'.
- Various military style Christmas cards and telegrams sent from Libya 1943 to Nichol's parents.
- Scenic photograph taken at Benghazi in Libya.
- Scenic photographs of Jerusalem in May & June 1944 including: The wailing wall, the Damascus Gate, Mosque of El Aksa, Tower of David, Dome of the Holy Sepulchure and the Mosque of Omar (built on the site of Soloman's temple).
- Photographs taken in Libya including scenic views of the ruins of Cyrne, a Greek temple and various photographs of Nichol including some of him swimming entitled 'action in the Mediterranean'.
- Various military style Christmas cards sent from Libya 1944 to Nichol's parents. Nichol's address is recorded as being HQ Coast Artillery Radar Unit RA Libya ME7.
- Cut out from the Benghazi Daily News dated 28th Dec 1944 kept presumably for the caption on the local rugby match between the Salocs and Benghazi Pirates.
- Two team photographs of the Benghazi Pirates Rugby Team with players names and ranks recorded. Including: Cowen, G.W. Nichol's, Robertson, Duffett, Petzer, Coates, Momberg, Hugo, Daniels, Wood, Taylor, Peebles, Hinchcliffe, Cousins & Haines.
- Photograph of German staff in Simi after the surrender of the Dodecanese islands in May 1945.
- Scenic postcard of the Dodecanese Islands, Simi.
- Scenic pictures of Rhodes including mosques, government buildings, port of Mandracchio and Place de Couriers.
- Cut out from the Rhodes Daily News Bulletin dated 31st May 1945 reporting on a machine gun battle in Damascus.
- Two photographs of ships at Nimo Island, Dodecanese and Simi taken in May 1945.
- Two photographs of Nichol's wife Heather and son John taken in June 1945.
The following items were loose in the back of the scrapbook:
- Newspaper cut outs entitled 'The Bedfordshire Yeomanry before Dunkirk' giving a detailed account by an officer of the regiment of their training in England, the campaign with the B.E.F. which culminated in the evacuation from Dunkirk, the battle of St. Momelin in which the men of the yeomanry, though trained as gunners, fought as infantry and the withdrawal to Dunkirk
- Newspaper cut out from the Daily Telegraph & Morning Post dated 8th Jan 1940 showing a picture with the following caption... 'a howitzer gun being manned by young soldiers who were formerly yeoman and have now become gunners. In the small picture four men are carrying a half-ton shell which this massive weapon can fire seven or eight miles'. Nichol's hand written notes suggest that the Regiment in the photograph is his own.'
- Two newspaper cut outs confirming the birth of John Nichols on the 13th December 1942.
- Collection of nine telegrams Nichol sent to members of his family at 1 Winifred Road, Bedford & 2 Prebend Street, Bedford while away on service between May 1940 & Sep 1945.
- Three lists showing the contents of parcels either being sent or delivered by Nichol between January 1944 & January 1945.
- Egyptian style Packaging for Turkish Delight products.
- Travel brochure for Rhodes that Nichol intended to send to his parents while at service in the Dodecanese.