Sapper William Henry Nix

Son of Thomas and Louisa Nix, of Eastwood, Notts; husband of Dorothy Nix, of Nottingham. The following is an excerpt from the Eastwood and Kimberley Adviser dated 16 October 1916, 'SAPPER WILLIAM HENRY NIX Canadian R.E.(Royal Engineers). Son of Mr and Mrs Thos. M. Nix of Mansfield House, Eastwood, has, we regret to state, died in hospital in France on Sept 19th. Deceased was born in Eastwood in the year 1883, and having served an apprenticeship with Mr Wilcockson, plumber, of Eastwood, opened out a business on his own account in Eastwood and was well known in the locality. He migrated to Canada about four years ago, where he followed the same trade, and realising, as many other of our Colonists happily have done, that the Mother Country needed the services of all capable men, he enlisted about the end of last year in the Canadian Army, and became attached to the Royal Engineers. After a brief visit to his parents in Eastwood about two months ago, deceased was drafted to France. No details as to the cause of death have reached the family, and it came as quite a shock to the parents when the official communication reached them last Friday, conveying the news of their son's death; for whilst in hospital he had written to say he was going on well and hoped to be in England shortly. Deceased was married and leaves a young widow, but no family. Much sympathy will be felt locally with Mr and Mrs Nix, who have two other sons in the Army, both attached to the Royal Engineers and still in England.' Eastwood was a coal mining town in north Nottinghamshire close to the Derbyshire border but the mines in this area all closed around 1985. Sapper Nix would have been exempted from war service if he had been a miner in Eastwood. Information provided by Mrs. Rita Restorick.