Studio portrait of Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Edmund James Houghton Nicholson CMG DSO VD, 1st ...

Studio portrait of Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Edmund James Houghton Nicholson CMG DSO VD, 1st Division Artillery from Claremont, Western Australia. A 44 year old Mineral buyer and member of the Militia, he was appointed a Captain in the AIF on 5 September 1914. He embarked for overseas with the Divisional Artillery Headquarters staff from Melbourne on 20 October 1914 aboard HMAT Shropshire. While serving at Gallipoli with the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade, he was promoted to Major. In March 1916 he was promoted to Lt Col, appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Pioneer Battalion and proceeded to France a month later. While serving in France, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the Order of KARAGEORGE, 4th Class (with swords) by the King of Serbia, the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) and was Mentioned in Despatches (MID) on five separate occasions. He had also been awarded the Colonial Auxilliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD). On 27 January 1917, he was appointed the Chief Royal Engineer (CRE) of the 2nd Australian Division and in July 1917 became the CRE of the 1st ANZAC Corps Troops. After returning to Australia on 13 May 1919, he was later awarded the Colonial Auxilliary Forces Long Service Medal. Lt Col Nicholson went on to also serve in the Second World War in the Volunteer Defence Force.