Princess Mary Gift Tin : Private E A Nicholls, 8 Battalion AIF

Princess Mary Christmas gift tin with card. The rectangular tin has a hinged lid and is embossed on top with a profile of the Princess surrounded by a wreath. The letter M is embossed on either side of the wreath in cursive script. A decorative border around the lid contains the words 'IMPERIUM BRITTANNICUM' at the top and 'CHRISTMAS 1914' at the bottom. The corners and sides contain the names of Britain's allies between decorations of flags, ships and weapons. The nations represented are, from the top right hand corner, 'JAPAN', 'RUSSIA', 'MONTENEGRO', 'SERVIA', 'FRANCE' and 'BELGIUM'. On the cover of the card is an 'M' with a crown above and the year '1915' below. Inside the card is a paper insert with a picture of a sword with a wreath and the text 'With Best Wishes for a Victorious New Year from The Princess Mary and friends at home'. The tin is empty, except for the card.

The Princess Mary's gift tin was the result of special "Christmas Fund' plan initiated by the daughter of King George V, HRH Princess Mary, whereby every soldier and sailor would receive a gift on the first Christmas of the war, in 1914. Each contained various items such as a pipe and tobacco products, pencil, notebook, postcards, a photograph of the Princess; or if the recipient was a non-smoker, a nurse or Sikh, perhaps a tin of spices, fruit lozenges, sugar candy or chocolate. Distribution was slow, and some did not receive their tins until 1920.

This tin belonged to Ernest Alfred Nicholls. Nicholls was born in London. In his youth he performed with the 'Carrie Laurie's Juveniles' on London's Piers. He immigrated to Australia where he worked as a film operator in picture theatres. Nicholls enlisted on 26 July 1916, aged 26 years. 6408 Private Nicholls embarked with the 20th reinforcements of the 8th Battalion on board HMAT Euripides from Melbourne on 11 September 1916. He arrived in England on 26 October and after a period of training, embarked for service in France, arriving at Etaples on 18 December 1916. He joined his battalion but on 23 February 1917 he was admitted to hospital with tonsillitis, eventually returning to England, where he remained for the rest of the war.

Nicholls was a baritone and after his service in France, he became a member of a concert party at Perham Downs Camp, called the 'Perham Stars'. Through the remainder of the war they toured other camps and hospitals. He wrote 'Laughing Song' and co wrote the song, 'The Kit Inspection Hymn' with 2030 Staff Sergeant George William Waight, that was performed by the Perham Stars. They later became the first official Australian concert party called 'The Aussies'. Nicholls was discharged on 20 September 1919 in London.

By 1926 he was back in Australia, living in Glenferrie, Victoria. In 1939 he married Elizabeth Mary Alice Rook in Sydney, NSW. During the Second World War he conducted the 'Sydney YWCA Open House Community Singing' for the troops for 16 months. After the war he was an acting member of the Gilbert and Sullivan society, Sydney Musical Society and a number of drama groups, including 'The Thespians'. He died at Milton, New South Wales on 13 May 1967.