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The information displayed here is at the time of death.
James Alfred Nichols was the son of John, a grocer, and Betsy Nichols of Summerhill, Roman Road in Middlesbrough; he was born 22 July 1879 and spent his childhood in the town. He attended Bede College 1899-1901. At the outbreak of the First World War he was employed as a schoolmaster at Southend School in Middlesbrough. He enlisted at Durham with the 1/8th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry and served as Private 2915. Nichols was killed in action, aged 35, during the Second Battle of Ypres. While the Commonwealth War Graves Commission reports his death as having occurred (or been officially confirmed) on 26 June 1915, The Bede magazine reports him as having been killed in action before 31 May, and the Report and List of Members of Bede College Club (1925) provides a date of death of 25 April 1915, during the Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge. As in a number of other cases, it is likely Nichols was reported missing in action after this engagement, but his body not being found nor any reports of his capture having been received, his death was officially confirmed only on 26 June. He has no known grave and is therefore commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres. His name is also found on Bede College 1914-1918 cross, plaque, and Roll of Honour, and the Middlesbrough War Memorial.
Place of birth: 309 Newport Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough
Place of residence: Summerhill, Roman Road, Middlesbrough
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Middlesbrough war memorial
Bede College 1914-1918 Cross, Plaque, and Roll of Honour
Image of the cap badge of the Durham Light Infantry (King's crown version), taken by Usedtoknowthat on 6 June 2014, is reproduced under CC BY-SA 3.0 licence
Clive Bowery; David Butler; Joyce Malcolm