Full medal write up
SOUTH AFRICA 1877-9, CLASP 1879 ‘648. PTE W. NICHOLAS 1/24TH FOOT’
648 Private Walter Nicholas, aged 18, attested at Newport to serve with 25th Brigade Depot on 4 October 1875. Transferring to the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot at Dover on 6 January 1876, he was several times noted as being in ‘The Cells’ over the next couple of years. He transferred to the 1st Battalion on 13 June 1877, serving with this Battalion in South Africa, initially in Cape Town and from September 1877 in King’s William Town. Musters for April to September 1878 show him to have been serving at the Cape of Good Hope and therefore received the ‘1879’ dated clasp to his medal. Private Nicholas was killed in action at the battle of Isandhlwana, 22 January 1879. His effects were claimed by his next of kin.
A Martini Henry Rifle with markings for 648 Private Walter Nicholas, lost at Isandhlwana, was reputably retaken after the battle of Kambula and has been noted extend in the last 15 years. Possibly due to this, artist Jason Askew, included Private Walter Nicholas as one of the subjects in his painting titled 'The Death Of Private Griffiths VC.'. Private Nicholas is the soldier in the centre if the painting wearing the blue flannel shirt being speared by an Assegai. The original painting can be viewed here:
Condition VF, small EK or better.