Capt. Robert Kenneth Nicol, MC

Robert Kenneth Nicol was born at Wellington in New Zealand's North Island on 27 October 1894 (reg. 1894/579). His parents were William Nicol and Eva May Nicol (née Petherick) who had married in Wellington on 3 November 1893 and made their home at Belmont in Lower Hutt. Robert worked as a painter. During World War I Robert served with the Wellington Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion (Service No. WWI 10/2499). He saw action in Egypt, Gallipoli and on the Western Front. Robert was chosen to be part of a secret unit called 'Dunsterforce'. A group from the unit tried to protect a 70,000 Assyrian refugee caravan that was being raided by the enemy who were murdering refugees and carrying young girls off into slavery. Vastly outnumbered, Robert was providing covering fire when he was shot and killed. His body was never recovered. 23-year-old Robert is remembered on the Tehran Memorial in Iran. He received the Military Cross (MC) for his actions (London Gazette, 9 January 1918, p. 662, Rec No 1085). Bio by Debbie McCauley (22 November 2024).

Tough little Kiwi' fought to the death (2010) by Paul Easton via The Dominion Post: Outnumbered and outgunned, Kiwi soldier Ken Nicol fought to the death protecting thousands of refugees during World War I. His body was never found – lost in the earth of modern day Iran – but his sacrifice will never be forgotten. Captain Robert Kenneth Nicol was a tough little painter from Lower Hutt, whose courage was soon spotted on the Western Front. He was handpicked for "Dunsterforce", a secret unit sent to gain an Allied foothold in the Caucasus and Persia. The men of the "Hush Hush Brigade" came from Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. "It was made clear to them ... their duties would be of such a hazardous nature few could come through the experience alive. The unknown risks were cheerfully accepted," the Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade says. In August 1918, a group of Dunsterforce men, led by Captain Stanley Savige, decided to protect a ragged column of 70,000 Assyrian refugees, 24 kilometres long. The band of nine included two New Zealanders, Captain Nicol and Sergeant Alexander Nimmo from the Otago Battalion. The refugees were trying to move 1000 kilometres from Urmia in Persia (Iran) to the plains of the Diala River, near Baghdad. "Large bodies of Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars were raiding the column, murdering the people and carrying off girls to their harems, together with whatever loot they could lay their hands on," Captain Savige wrote in his dairy. Outnumbered by 100 to one, the men guarded the column from the rear. At the village of Aydisheh on August 5, Captain Nicol moved forward to help control some unruly mules carrying ammunition. His nephew Lindsay Grigg, 82, a retired surgeon from Canberra, researched the story. "Three men were attacked from the rear and sides. Captain Nicol went to give support, and caught up with Nimmo from the Otago Regiment," he said. "He sent Nimmo forward to collect the ammo, said, 'Give me your rifle' and gave covering fire. He stood up and was immediately killed. Two sergeants tried to get him. Both had their mounts shot out from under them, but crawled to safety. One of them was almost certainty Nimmo." Captain's Nicol's body was never recovered. He was 21. "It's poignant the last person he spoke with was Nimmo, his fellow New Zealander," Dr Grigg said. Sergeant Nimmo survived the war, and received an award for gallantry for his actions. After a harrowing six-week trek the refugees reached safety.

Sources

1. Births, Deaths and Marriages New Zealand.
2. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
3. Easton, Paul (2010). 'Tough little Kiwi' fought to the death. Dominion Post.
4. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohN.html / Ref 13.4.2021