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Auction: 23113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 359

The campaign group of three awarded to The Reverend Canon R. M. Nicholls, Royal Navy, who was Chaplain on Bellerophon at the Battle of Jutland and was later Canon & Chaplain of St. Paul's Cathedral, Valetta during the Siege of Malta

1914-15 Star (Chapn. R. M. Nicholls, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Chapn. R. M. Nicholls. R.N.), very fine (3)

Reginald Morton Nicholls was born at Cheltenham in 1881. He was at St. John's College, Oxford where he graduated with a B.A. in 1904 and in 1909 he received his Masters. He attended Ely Theological College in 1904 and was ordained in 1905. He joined the Royal Navy 29 September 1915 as acting Chaplain for service during the Great War and was posted to Bellerophon.

On 31 May 1916, Bellerophon was the fourteenth ship from the head of the battle line after deployment. During the first stage of the general engagement, the ship fired intermittently on the crippled light cruiser Wiesbaden from 18:25hrs, and may have engaged the German dreadnoughts during this time, but did not claim to have hit anything. At 1917hrs, the ship opened fire at the battlecruiser Derfflinger and scored one hit that glanced off the conning tower. The only significant damage that the armour-piercing, capped (APC) shell caused was from a splinter that destroyed the rangefinder in 'B' turret. About ten minutes later, Bellerophon engaged several German destroyer flotillas with her main armament without result. This was the last time that the ship fired her guns during the battle. She was not damaged and fired a total of 62 twelve-inch shells (42 APC and 21 common pointed, capped) and 14 shells from her four-inch guns during the battle.

He was posted to Powerful on 1 October 1918 remaining with her until April 1919 with further postings to Hecla 191-20, Centurion 1920-22, Vernon 1922-24, Diligence 1924-25, Centaur 1925-26.

From 1926-29 he was at the Royal Navy Ecclesiastical College at Devonport. Leaving the Navy he became Chancellor, Canon and Chaplain of St. Paul's Cathedral, Valetta in Malta from 1931-42 and was present during the Siege of Malta. He returned to England, living in Wendover until his death at the age of 66 on 20 December 1946. His son Lieutenant Anthony Holbech Nicholls was killed in action on Sphinx on 4 February 1940 and was posthumously mentioned in despatches; sold together with copied service papers.

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Sold for
£320

Starting price
£100