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This item is in today's Dominic Winter auction


Picture courtesy of Dominic Winter

A Victorian Campaign chest belonging to Brigadier-General N.T. Nickalls, the stained oak chest with brass iron straps, the front panel with brass plate engraved N.T. NICKALLS 17TH LANCERS No1, the hinged lid enclosing four lift out trays with divisions for a tea service, condiments, flatware and other table items, lined with green baize and marbled paper, 64cm high x 80.5cm wide x 55.5cm deep.

Brigadier-General Norman T Nickalls (1864-1915), educated at Eton College, served during the Boer War with 17th Lancers and also Tarkastad Mounted Troops, mentioned in despatches 17 January 1902.

Nickalls commanded 21st Division K3 New Army formation at the outbreak of WWI and took a brigade into the cauldron of Loos on 25 September 1915. The Brigade diary states that an officer of the West Yorks, Major Bulloch, saw a shell hit near or directly where Nickalls was near the Chalk Pit the next day on the 26th. His body was never found and Nickalls is commemorated on the Loos memorial to the missing.