206095 S/Sjt Mjr. Edgar Nicholson DCMBritish Army Northumberland Hussars from:Darlington Edgar Nicholson volunteered to join the Army on 6 January 1897, and was sent to India with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry. From India, he sailed for South Africa in 1900 on the outbreak of the Boer War, serving right through to the conclusion of hostilities, much of the time as a member of a DLI mounted infantry unit (Burmah Mounted Infantry?). His South Africa medals carry clasps for the Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and Langs Nek.
ollowing transfer to the Reserve in 1905, and final termination of engagement in 1909, he joined the Northumberland Hussars to become a member of the Territorial Army, quickly reaching the rank of Sergeant.The Regiment was mobilised upon declaration of war in 1914 and was well established in Belgium by October. He was mentioned in dispatches on 20 November 1914 (during the first battle of Ypres) and again on 14 January 1915(London Gazette, 17 Feb 1915). On 22 March 1917, now in the rank of SSM, he was in command of a "party" sent to protect a detachment of three artillery pieces defending part of the line of the canal at Jussy. He had a company of the 5th Lancers on his right, and a company of the "Scottish Rifles" on his left. The Germans broke through on the left and during the withdrawal he was wounded by rifle fire and evacuated to England for hospitalisation.
He was exceptionally fortunate in his subsequent lengthy convalescence which was spent at a country house military hospital where his wife was cook and resident there with their small daughter. He did not return to France, but remained with the colours until 20 February 1919.
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