Nicholls, Joshua Thomas

No.1789 – Private Joshua Nicholls – 44^th Battalion AIF

Joshua Thomas Nicholls was born in Ballarat Victoria in 1882 to George and Eliza Nicholls. He was educated in Victoria but later moved with his family to Western Australia where they took up residence in Fremantle. Joshua worked as a platelayer, a farmer, and also for the Public Works Department in Kalgoorlie. Joshua did not enlist when war was declared as his brother Henry enlisted early in the war and served with the 12^th Battalion at Gallipoli and was invalided home later in 1915. After Henry had returned home Joshua went to the Francis street drill hall in Perth to enlist in the AIF.

(Photo to the right Joshua standing and Henry sitting)

On the 4^th January 1916 Josh was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 9 inches tall; weight of 163lbs; chest measurement of 35-37 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Josh was sent to No.42 Depot at Claremont Camp and on the 1^st February 1916 he was assigned to “A” Company of the 44^th Battalion AIF. He trained with this Company for the next two months however on the 1^st April he was sent to the NCO’s School at Claremont where he remained until the 9^th May 1916.

After completing his time at the NCO school, Josh was appointed an Acting Corporal to the 2^nd Reinforcements to the 44^th Battalion. He trained with this group at Claremont for the next few months while they waited for their departure orders to arrive. These finally came though and on the 9^th August 1916 he boarded the HMAT Miltiades in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, where they arrived at Plymouth on the 25^th September 1916. On arrival at the 3^rd Division camp on the Salisbury Plains Josh reverted to a Private, but was then made a Corporal for training purposes. Josh again reverted to being a Private on the 18^th November 1916 when he was taken on strength of the 44^th Battalion. A week later he proceeded over to France with the Battalion as they were sent to the Armentieres sector. After only a short time in France, Josh was sent to hospital where he was diagnosed with mumps. On the 6^th December he was admitted to No.7 General Hospital at St Omer and he would remain here for the next few months as he was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the lung. On the 28^th February 1917 he was sent to England where he was admitted to the 3^rd Australian General Hospital. He received treatment for his TB and this seemed to improve his health as on the 18^th April he was sent to No.1 Command Depot.

On the 24^th April 1917 Josh joined the 70^th Battalion of the proposed new 6^th Division AIF. He stayed with this new unit for the next several months however due to the lack of reinforcements arriving from Australia; the 6^th Division was soon disbanded. On the 7^th September 1917 Josh returned to France where he marched into the 3^rd Australian Division Base Depot at Rouelles. His stay here was short and he joined the 44^th Battalion in Belgium on the 19^th September 1917. He joined them just in time for the 44^th’s role in the Third Battle of Ypres. It was during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge on the 4^th October 1917 that Josh was wounded in the leg. He was sent to the 44^th Casualty Clearing Station and was then transferred to No.7 Canadian General Hospital at Etaples. On the 19^th October he was transferred to England where he was admitted to Brooke War Hospital at Woolwich. Josh remained here until the 20^th December when he was given a period of leave, after which he would report for service. On the 7^th January 1918 he marched into the Overseas Training Brigade.

The next day Josh was sent to hospital sick and he was diagnosed with VD. He was sent to the 1^st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford, where he remained until the 9^th of February 1918. He then reported to No.1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny and was then returned to the Overseas Training Brigade. Josh remained here for the next few weeks but on the 7^th March he proceeded to Southampton Harbour where he boarded a troopship which took him across to France, where he marched into the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Rouelles. His time here was short and on the 13^th March he rejoined the 44^th Battalion in Belgium. Just over a week later on the 21^st March 1918 the Germans launched a massive assault that broke through the Third and Fifth British Armies and were making a speedy advance towards Amiens. The Third and Fourth Australian Divisions were rushed down to the Somme to stem the German advance.

On the 28^th March the 44^th Battalion met the Germans near Sailly Laurette and managed to bring the advance to a halt though several clashes occurred over the next weeks. On the 30^th March Josh was severely wounded and he was taken back to the 11^th Field Ambulance where he unfortunately died of his wounds the same day. He was buried at Heilly Station Cemetery at Mericourt L’Abbe France in plot II.I.6. His brother Henry would receive Josh’s personal effects and medals, though further tragedy struck for the family as Henry, who was a Tram Conductor in Fremantle was killed in an accident in the 1920’s.

This left George as the only brother, he had been working at Fremantle Naval Base during the war years.