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[[File:William C. M. Nicholson.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sir William C. M. Nicholson.]] [[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] {{SIR}} '''William Coldingham Masters Nicholson''', K.C.B., Royal Navy (28 October, 1863 &ndash; 9 January, 1932) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]]. ==Early Life & Career== Nicholson was the son of a Reverend John Young Nicholson, Rector of Aller, a village near Langport, Somerset.<ref>20191224 Contact email from Janet Seaton, Chair of the Langport & District History Society, citing Nicholson's baptismal record.</ref> He passed out of {{UK-1Britannia}} in December 1878. Following service in {{UK-1Agincourt}}, {{UK-1Dido}}, {{UK-Northampton}} and {{UK-Sultan}}, Nicholson was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 21 August, 1885.{{Gaz|25514|4516|25 September, 1885}} Nicholson passed as a Torpedo Lieutenant, Second Class, on 22 June, 1888. He would serve in a variety of appointments that are difficult to discern in his Service Record, including time as torpedo officer in {{UK-Swiftsure}} in mid 1891 &ndash; possibly for the Annual Manoeuvres. He then returned to an appointment as torpedo officer in {{UK-2Boadicea}}, which had only two ancient Whitehead torpedo carriages, until he was invalided back to England with climatic debility and dyspepsia in April 1894.<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> After recovering from his illness, Nicholson spent a year on the staff at the {{UK-Defiance|f=tp}}. In mid-January 1896 he was appointed to {{UK-1Revenge}} as first officer and for torpedo duties. Nicholson remained with ''Revenge'' until he was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 1 January, 1898.{{Gaz|26924|7854|31 December, 1897}} On 1 December 1904 Nicholson was appointed as Secretary to the Imperial Defence Committee. ==Captain== Nicholson was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 30 June, 1905.{{Gaz|27812|4557|30 June, 1905}} He kept up as Secretart to the I.D.C. until he was appointed in command of the new {{UK-1Berwick|f=t}} in January 1908.<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> On 23 November 1908 he was appointed to command the {{UK-1Achilles|f=t}}. He commanded the ship until being appointed Captain of [[H.M.S. Vernon (Torpedo Training School)|H.M.S. ''Vernon'']] on 1 November 1911,<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> where he would remain for three years. <ref>Blond. ''Technology and Tradition''. p. 167.</ref> ==Great War== [[File:William Nicholson 1916.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Nicholson as Rear-Admiral, 1916.]] He was appointed captain of dreadnought battleship [[H.M.S. Emperor of India (1913)|''Emperor of India'']] on 15 September, 1914.{{NLDec14|p. 311}} Nicholson was appointed captain of {{UK-Canada}} on 30 June, 1915. He would command her at the [[Battle of Jutland]], operating as part of the {{UK-BS|4}}. As he reported in [[H.M.S. Canada at the Battle of Jutland|his after-action report]], the ship fired forty-two main battery rounds during the action, and over 100 6-in shells, to uncertain effect. On 10 June 1916, Nicholson was promoted to the rank of {{RearRN}}, vice [[Philip Nelson-Ward|Nelson-Ward]].{{GazSup|29629|6066|20 June, 1916}} On 15 September he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) dated 31 May.{{GazSup|29751|9070|15 September, 1916}} He was appointed Rear-Admiral in the {{UK-BS|1}}, hoisting his flag in the [[H.M.S. Emperor of India (1913)|''Emperor of India'']] on 7 December. His staff was composed of Henry Rogers, Secretary, [[Roden Henry Victor Buxton|Roden H. V. Buxton]], Flag Lieutenant, and Maurice H. Elliot, Clerk to Secretary.{{NLNov17|p. 393''l''}} He was thanked for developing a system for firing through a smoke screen in 1918. As the war ended, he was being granted periods of leave: first two weeks in early October, and then in December.<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> ==Post-War== Nicholson was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 24 March, 1919.{{GazSup|31248|3859|24 March, 1919}} Nicholson was promoted to the rank of {{ViceRN}} on 24 November, 1920, vice [[Stuart Nicholson|Nicholson]].{{Gaz|32154|12054|7 December, 1920}} Nicholson was promoted to the rank of {{AdmRN}} on 1 July, 1925, vice [[Alexander Ludovic Duff|Duff]].{{Gaz|33068|4866|21 July, 1925}} He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 14 October.{{Gaz|33093|6693|16 October, 1925}} ==Bibliography== {{refbegin}} *"Admiral Sir William Nicholson" (Obituaries). ''The Times''. Monday, 11 January, 1932. Issue '''46027''', col A, p. 14. {{refend}} ==Service Records== {{refbegin}} *{{TNA|ADM 196/88.|D8115452}} *{{TNA|ADM 196/42.|D7579053}} *{{TNA|ADM 196/20.|D7590687}} {{refend}} <div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}} {{TabNaval}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Arthur Phillipps|Henry A. Phillipps]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Antelope (1893)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Antelope'']]'''<br>10 Sep, 1902<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>{{NLJan04|p. 273}} &ndash; 30 Nov, 1904<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederic William Dean|Frederic W. Dean]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Lewis Clinton-Baker|Lewis Clinton-Baker]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Berwick (1902)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Berwick'']]'''<br>15 Jan, 1908<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> &ndash; 2 Sep, 1908<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Hugh Thomas Hibbert|Hugh T. Hibbert]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Francis Oliver|Henry F. Oliver]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Achilles (1905)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Achilles'']]'''<br>23 Nov, 1908<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>{{NLApr11|p. 272}} &ndash; 18 Apr, 1911<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Stanhope Hawke|The Hon. Stanhope Hawke]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Robert Stewart Phipps Hornby|Robert S. P. Hornby]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Vernon (Torpedo Training School)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Vernon'']]'''<br>1 Nov, 1911<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> &ndash; 15 Sep, 1914<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Laurence Field|Frederick L. Field]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Emperor of India (1913)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Emperor of India'']]'''<br>15 Sep, 1914<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> &ndash; 9 Jul, 1915<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Charles William Rawson Royds|Charles W. R. Royds]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Canada (1913)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Canada'']]'''<br>30 Jun, 1915<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>{{NLDec16|p. 392''rr''}} &ndash; 1 Dec, 1916<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[James Clement Ley|James C. Ley]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Alexander Ludovic Duff|Alexander L. Duff]]'''|'''[[First Battle Squadron (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral in the First Battle Squadron]]'''<br>1 Dec, 1916{{UKCeased|p. 2}} &ndash; 20 Mar, 1919<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Victor Albert Stanley|The Hon. Victor A. Stanley]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Charles Martin-de-Bartolomé|Charles Bartolomé]]'''|'''[[Third Sea Lord|Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy]]'''<br>1 Jul, 1919<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 214.</ref> &ndash; 15 Apr, 1920<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/88.}} f. 77.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Laurence Field|Sir Frederick L. Field]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Arthur Cavenagh Leveson|Sir Arthur C. Leveson]]'''|'''[[Second Battle Squadron (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral Commanding, Second Battle Squadron]]'''<br>1 Oct, 1920<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42}}. f. 194.</ref> &ndash; 3 May, 1921<ref>Nicholson Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/88.}} f. 77.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''William C. M. Nicholson, V.A.C. {{UK-BS|1}}'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Sydney Robert Fremantle|Sir Sydney R. Fremantle]]'''|'''[[First Battle Squadron (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Squadron]]'''<br>3 May, 1921<ref>"Naval and Military" (Official Appointments and Notices). ''The Times''. Wednesday, 23 March, 1921. Issue '''42676''', col D, p. 12.</ref> &ndash; 14 Oct, 1922|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Edwyn Sinclair Alexander-Sinclair, Twelfth Laird of Freswick|Sir Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair]]'''}} {{TabEnd}} </div name=fredbot:appts> ==Footnotes== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, William Coldingham}} {{CatPerson|UK|1863|1932}} {{CatBritannia|July, 1876}} {{CatTorpedoOfficer|UK}} {{CatAdm|UK}} [[Category:Royal Navy Officers Educated at Stubbington House School]] {{CatRN}}

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