NICKLIN, Joseph

Joseph Nicklin was the son of William and Annie Nicklin of 38 Stafford Street, Dudley. He was married to Mary Jane before 1914 and worked at Messrs Doulton's pottery works. He was an early volunteer for the Worcesters but was transferred to the Gloucesters, possibly as a result of return to active service after wounds. He joined the 10th (Service) Battalion in the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division in July 1915. They were very active in the 1916 Battle of the Somme, fighting from the first day at Albert on the 1st July to Morval in September. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in the trenches as a result of a brave action which involved cutting the wire in front of enemy lines to allow a French attack to go through. In 1917, however, he suffered severely from shell shock and was gassed. He was sent to the military hospital at Rouen where he died of wounds on the 27th August 1917. Unusually, his wife was given permission to travel to France to attend his funeral and was the principal mourner at the ceremony which was carried out with full military honours. Lance Corporal Joseph Nicklin was 29 years of age and is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, (B 26 17) and commemorated on the Dudley Memorial.