William Henry Snyder Nickerson

William Henry Snyder Nickerson VC CB CMG (March 27, 1875, Dorchester, New Brunswick - 1954), was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Victoria Cross

Nickerson was a 25 years old lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, of the British Army, attached to Mounted Infantry during the South African War (Boer War). On 20 April 1900 at Wakkerstroom, South Africa, during the advance of the infantry to support the mounted troops, Lieutenant Nickerson went under very heavy shell and rifle fire to attend a wounded man. He dressed his wounds and remained with him until he could be taken to a place of safety. For this deed he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Personal life

His family had returned to England when he was a child and he was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School and Owen's College, the forerunner of the University of Manchester, graduating in medicine in 1896.

He later achieved the rank of major general after service in World War I. His grave is in the private burial ground at his home in Cour, Kintyre, Scotland.

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 2000)

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/strathcl.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Strathclyde)"
* [http://www.barmy.co.uk/ramc/nickerson.htm Major General W.H.S. Nickerson]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8130794 Find-A-Grave profile for Major General W.H.S. Nickerson]
* [http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/victoriacross/04-05.asp Legion Magazine Article on W.H.S. Nickerson]