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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

William Nicholson

In memory of:

Rifleman William Nicholson

October 13, 1942
North Point, Hong Kong

Military Service


Service Number:

B/40683

Age:

45

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal Rifles of Canada, R.C.I.C.

Citation(s):

1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.

Additional Information


Born:

February 28, 1897
Oxenhope, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Enlistment:

July 13, 1940
Niagara, Ontario

Son of John William Nicholson and Maria Dent. Husband of Elizabeth Patterson Bailey of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Father of William Nicholson, who served in the Canadian Army with the Royal Canadian Signal Corps, Florence Mary and Doris Patricia Nicholson.

He enlisted with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and served in Manitoba and Nova Scotia before transferring to the 1st Battalion, Royal Rifles of Canada on October 18th, 1941 to fight in Hong Kong with "C" Force. He had 823 days of service, including 351 overseas.

Commemorated on Page 102 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY
Victoria, Hong Kong

Grave Reference:

VIII. D. 25.

Location:

SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY is in the north-east of the island of Hong Kong, in the Chai Wan area, about 11 kilometres from the centre of Victoria, the capital of Hong Kong. At the entrance to the cemetery on Cape Collinson Road stands the memorial to those who died in Hong Kong and have no known grave. From it, the cemetery slopes down towards the sea and originally, the view towards the main land was magnificent. The easiest way to reach the cemetery is by the mass transit railway (MTR) Hong Kong line to Chai Wan Terminus. From the Terminus one can either walk up to the cemetery following Chai Wan Road to the roundabout, turning west into Wan Tsui Road, then south east up Lin Shing Road which leads to Cape Collinson Road. The CWGC road direction sign is fixed to a wall facing down Lin Shing Road. The Cape Collinson area has many cemeteries. Walking up this narrow one way traffic road, one will pass the Catholic Cemetery situated on the hillside to the left of the road, and the Hong Kong Military Cemetery on the right. SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY is about half way up Cape Collinson Road and faces the Muslim and Buddhist cemeteries. One can also get a taxi from Chai Wan Terminus and follow the same route. Alternatively one can board a public light bus, Route No. 16M, which runs from Chai Wan MTR Terminus to Stanley where the CWGC has another cemetery, the Stanley Military Cemetery. En route to Stanley the minibus will pass Sai Wan War Cemetery, stopping only on request.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Newspaper Clipping– Memorialized on the pages of the Globe and Mail. Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Grave Marker– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of WILLIAM NICHOLSON– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Telegram September 1942. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Telegram July 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper Clipping– From the Toronto Star for 22 July 1943, page 2.

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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