Auction Catalogue

17 September 2020

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 195

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17 September 2020

Hammer Price:
£1,900

Five: Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. I. Nicholl, Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars (Yeomanry), who commanded the Henley Squadron during the Great War on the Western Front from September 1914, having taken over the command of the Squadron from Winston Churchill

1914 Star, with clasp (Major C. R. I. Nicholl. Ox: Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Major C. R. I. Nicholl.); Coronation 1937; Territorial Decoration, G.V.R., silver and silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919, with integral top riband bar, nearly very fine and better (5) £700-£900

Charles Rice Iltyd Nicholl was born in Marylebone, London in 1881 and was educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars (Yeomanry) on 25 May 1903, was promoted Lieutenant on 13 October 1906, and advanced to Major on 23 April 1913. Shortly after receiving his Majority he took over command of the Henley Squadron from Major Winston Spencer-Churchill, after Churchill had relinquished his command in order to take a more active role in the Government. Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War, Nicholl was sent to France to join the British Expeditionary Force, disembarking with his regiment on 21 September 1914. Initially, due to Churchill’s influence, the regiment was detached from its own Brigade and became attached to the Royal Naval Division (Churchill at the time being First Lord of the Admiralty), which itself had been sent to Flanders to prevent a German advance towards the Channel ports. ‘In so doing, the regiment became the first Territorial unit to embark for a theatre of war and the first to see action, coming under fire at Mont des Cats.’

Churchill had served with the regiment from 1902 and would use his influence on other occasions to help shape the Regiment’s fortunes over the coming years. Regarding the regiments war time service, it is also noted that:
‘The Regiment soon hardened to the realities of war. Although disparagingly nicknamed by men of the regular army the “Queer Objects On Horseback” or “agricultural cavalry”, the Q.O.O.H. took part in many actions from Ypres in 1914 to Amiens and the final advance in 1918, winning many battle honours and the lasting respect of their fellow members of the 2nd Cavalry Division. As such it was one of only six yeomanry regiments to be posted to a regular cavalry division in the war.’

For his services during the Great War Nicholl was advanced Lieutenant-Colonel and was Mentioned in Despatches (
London Gazette 1 January 1916).

Note: The National Army museum has in their collection two Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars photograph albums compiled by Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholl.