V.C. WINNER SEEKS PUBLIC HELP

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25091, 24 January 1947, Page 8

V.C. WINNER SEEKS PUBLIC HELP

MANY OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, January 23. A week ago it was announced in Nottingham that Mr Harry Nichols, formerly a lance-corporal in the Grenadier Guards, who won the first Army Victoria Cross of the war when he attacked four German machinegun posts single-handed before Dunkirk, had been forced by illness to seek public assistance for himself, his wife, and seven-year-old daughter. Immediately the announcement was made the Army authorities, who had had the matter under review for some time, granted Mr Nichols- a 30 per cent, disability pension (18s 9d a week and £3O arrears); a committee was formed in Nottingham to help the family; a retired Nottingham businessman who is organising a cruise to South Africa offered to take Mr Nichols and his familv with him: and the owner of a Rhodesian airline cabled offering to fly Mr Nichols to Rhodesia and help him to find a job there. Mr Nichols has not so far indicated his attitude to any of these offers. The story recalled that Mr Nichols was first reported dead after Dunkirk and the Victoria Cross was presented posthumously to his wife. Later it was learned that he was in a prisoner of war camp in Germany.