royalfusiliers

Born 11th January 1880 Tweedmouth, Berwickshire. One of nine children born to George Black [b.1843] a Boiler Manufacturer, and Margaret Black [b.1843 Gateshead]. The 1881 census records him living at 164 High Street, Tweedmouth, Berwick on Tweed with his parents and older siblings Helen [b.1867], George Jnr. [b.1869],Richard [.1874] Thompson [b.1877] and Margaret Jnr. [b.1878]. Not found in the 1891 or 1901 census. The 1911 census records him living at 142 Main Street, Tweedmouth, Berwick on Tweed, with his parents and older brother, Richard, now employed as a Draper. By this time William John is employed as a Pharmacist. His entry in Du Ruvigny’s reads; BLACK William John, Private, 24th (Service) Battn. (2nd Sportsman’s) and No.59616 9th (Service) Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.) Son of the late George Black by his wife Margaret 9Margaretville, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed). Born Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed 11th January1880, educated at Berwick British School, Berwick Academy and at the Edinburgh School of Pharmacy. He was a chemist and druggist and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Enlistedin the 24th Battn. The Royal Fusiliers on 16th April 1915 and served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following November and being later attached to the 9th Battn. He was killed in action near Cambrai on 30th November 1917. An Officer wrote “He died a hero, fighting an onrushing foe” and another “He soon proved brave and fearless.” Private Black was a member of the Berwick Rowing Club and of the Berwick Golf Club.” He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louveral.

Will photos of 2Lt Nicholson's brothers be posted. Three died in the last two years, with Bruce being the first. Bruce was son no 3.

Second Lieutenant Bruce Hills Nicholson RF was the son of Letitia Marion Nicholson, (nee Hills), of 1 Iverna Gardens, Kensington, London, and the late Alfred James Nicholson from the noted Wokingham family. I hope that I am not stealing Alison's thunder. This family had 3 daughters and 5 sons, 4 of the sons serving in the Royal Fusiliers. The other brothers she mentions were the eldest - Lieutenant Colonel Edward Hills Nicholson DSO* RF - killed in action on 10th April 1918 aged 38 while Commanding Officer of 3rd East Surreys; and 4th youngest, Sub Lieutenant Victor Hills Nicholson RN, killed at sea when the R Class destroyer HMS RECRUIT was torpedoed off the Noordhinder Bank in the North Sea by UB-16 on 9th August 1917. A fifth son, Walter Hills Nicholson MC RF, having survived the First World War, was killed while serving in the RAFVR as a Flt Lt aged 50 on 15 Feb 1943. There is a substantial amount of information about this family on the Wokingham Remembers website at www.wokinghamremembers.com //

4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers was a Regular Battalion that in August 1914 left Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight in the ORBAT of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division and landed at Le Havre on 13th August 1914. On 3rd May 1917, 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers were fighting at Delville Wood (Battle of Delville Wood and capture of Fresnoy, 3-4 May 1917). Captain Stephen Van der Poel Hiddingh RF of 4th Battalion was killed in action there on the same day.//

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Wikipedia has a lot of detail about Sir Jacob Epstein: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Epstein

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/