Beschreibung:

The 1939 K.C.B., Civil C.B., Order of St. John, group of twelve awarded to Surgeon Vice-Admiral P. T. Nicholls, Royal Navy Having been present in the aftermath of the 1908 Messina Earthquake, he was duly decorated for his fine work; during the Great War he was lucky indeed to escape the famous 'Broad Fourteens disaster', when on 22 September 1914 he survived the loss of Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy, eventually being fished out of the North Sea and made a Prisoner of War On that day he was described as having 'conducted himself with great gallantry on this occasion when he was required to transfer himself and casualties from one ship to another, and finally to safety as disaster overcame each turn' and was briefly interned in the Netherlands, Nicholls rose to become Medical Director-General of the Royal Navy The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. Military Division, Knight Commander's set of Insignia, comprising neck Badge and breast Star in silver-gilt, silver and enamel; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. Civil Division, Companion's neck badge , in silver-gilt; The Most Venerable Order of St.John, Commander's neck badge in silver and enamel; 1914-15 Star (St. Surg. P. T. Nicholls, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Surg. Commr. P. T. Nicholls. R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Italy, Kingdom, Order of the Crown, Officer's 4th Class breast Badge, gold and enamel; Italy, Kingdom, Messina Earthquake 1908, campaign medals mounted as worn, some very light enamel damage to the Order of the Crown, adhesive to the reverse of the St. John Badge and Bath neck Badge, very fine (12) K.C.B. (Military) London Gazette 8 June 1939. C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 4 June 1934. O. St. John. London Gazette awarded 1937. Italian Order of the Crown awarded 1908 and confirmed 15 April 1912. Percival Thomas Nicholls was born on 8 May 1877 at Tavistock, Devon. He was the son of Harry and Ellen Nicholls. He studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital and qualified M.R.C.S. England and L.R.C.P. London in 1900, after which he held the posts of House Physician at the Middlesex Hospital and House Surgeon at the Sussex County Hospital. He entered the Royal Navy as a Surgeon on the 10 August 1901 and served for short periods in a number of ships and establishments to include Nautilus and Lizard. He was present at the aftermath of the Messina earthquake serving aboard Exmouth and was awarded the Order of the Crown of Italy (4th Class) for his valuable services whilst serving at the Catona Field Hospital, one of only 19 Officer awards. He was promoted Staff Surgeon on the 10 August 1909. Nicholls served with distinction throughout the First World War, he was on board Hogue at the Battle of Heligoland on the 22 September 1914, when the German submarine U-9 captained by Otto Weddigen accounted for Cressy, Hogue and Aboukir in quick succession. Nicholls conducted himself with great gallantry on this occasion when he was required to transfer himself and casualties from one ship to another, and finally to safety as disaster overcame each in turn. He was interned in the Netherlands for two weeks but was subsequently released. He was promoted to Surgeon Commander on 10 August 1915 and was successively Senior Medical Officer on Leander October 1915-January 1916; Greenwich June 1916-October 1917; Agamemnon October 1917-March 1919 and Valiant June 1919-April 1920. His obituary gives further detail: 'By the end of the Great War Nicholls had gained in mental stature from his wealth of versatile experience during his seventeen years' service. A tall, handsome athletic figure who had represented the Navy at tennis, he had now developed qualities which began to place him in the front rank of naval medical officers at that time. A born administrator possessed of a sound clinical sense, he was given every opportunity to display his recognized talents to the full. In 1926, he was promoted Surgeon Captain and a year later he becam