During a charge against German forces at Polderhoek Chateau in Belgium, Lincoln-born carpenter Henry Nicholas almost singlehandedly overcame 16 German soldiers, took four prisoners, and captured an enemy machine gun.
For this momentous effort, Nicholas was awarded the Victoria Cross for his “most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack”. King George V presented this medal – now displayed in Canterbury Museum’s Mountfort Gallery – to the 26-year-old in 1918. It was one of only 11 awarded to New Zealand soldiers during the First World War.
Nicholas volunteered for service in the First World War on 8 February 1916. It was the second time he had put his hand up, having been turned down the first time due to the poor condition of his teeth. He trained at Sling Camp in Salisbury, England, before going on to fight in well-known battles in France, such as The Battle of the Somme and Battle of Messines.
Nicholas was the first Cantabrian to be awarded the VC, the highest military honour of the British Empire and Commonwealth. Tragically, he was killed while on guard duty near Le Quesnoy in October that year, just three weeks before the end of the Great War. Also on display at the museum are Nicholas' Military Medal, Victory Medal and British War Medal, which can be found after climbing the stairs to the Costume Gallery.
Nicholas is commemorated by a statue near the Bridge of Remembrance.