NICHOLAS, Philip William
(Service number 66683)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 07/09/1881 | Place of Birth | Mintaro, Sth Australia |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 14 January 1918 | Age | 36 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | 232 The Terrace, Wellington | ||
| Occupation | Butcher | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Married | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs P.W Nicholas (wife), 232 The Terrace, Wellington | ||
Military Service
| Served with | New Zealand Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Home Service section, NZ Military Forces | ||
| Date | |||
| Transport | |||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Home Service Section | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 15 November 1918 | Age | 37 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Featherston | ||
| Cause | Died of influenza | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Featherston Cemetery, Western Lake Rd, Featherston, Wairarapa | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru | ||
Biographical Notes
Philip William Nicholas was born at Mintaro, South Australia on 4 December 1920 to Faith Angelina and Abraham George Nicholas. Philip married in 1908 to Timaru girl Mabel Evelyn Ennis and the Timaru electoral roll of 1911 lists the couple: Philip Nicholas, Archer St, butcher; and Mabel Evelyn Nicholas, Archer St, married.
However, the couple appear to have moved as the Reserve Rolls of 1916-1917 have Philip William Nicholas listed as a butcher of 92 Boulcott St, Wellington. He enlisted for service in January 1918, being described as 5ft 9in, 132lbs, of sallow complexion, with grey eyes, and dark brown hair. His home address was given as 232 The Terrace, Wellington. He entered the Home Service section at Featherston Military Training Camp but died of influenza on 15 November 1918. At that time his parents Frank and Elizabeth Ann (Williams) Nicholas lived at 159 Kinane St, Brighton Beach, Victoria, Australia. The 'Creswick Advertiser' of 10 December 1918 reported his death, noting: "Private Philip William, the dearly beloved eldest son of Mr and Mrs Frank Nicholas, and brother of Bessie, Mrs S Merriman, Mrs Clark (NZ), Mrs Barnett (Richmond) and J Nicholas (Garden Vale); aged 37 years ... Deep regret was expressed when it became known that Mr and Mrs Frank Nicholas, of Creswick, had received information to the effect that their son, Private Philip William Nicholas, had died in the Featherston Military Camp, NZ, on 15 November. The late Private Nicholas, who was 37 years of age, contracted influenza, which caused his death . Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved parents and relatives in their loss."
The 'Timaru Herald' of 20 November 1918 also reported his death: "NICHOLAS On the 15th NOvember at Featherson Camp Philip William Nicholas (late of Timaru), dearly beloved husband of Mabel Nicholas and son-in-law of G Ennis, Hassall St, Timaru. So loved, so mourned. Sadly the Timaru Herald also records NICHOLAS - On December 4th at Masterton Hospital, Mabel Evelyn, dearly beloved wife of the late Philip William Nicholas and beloved daughter of F.A and A.G Ennis, Hassall St, Timaru, aged 29 years. So loved so mourned."
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph [June 2021]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records [June 2021]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Maree Bowen, SC branch NZSG; Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.