Walter Patrick Nicol

Pat Nicol was born on 15 Aug 1901, the oldest son of Arthur Patrick Nicol, MC and his wife Daisy. Daisy Nicol, nee Showell, was the youngest child of Walter Showell, born in 1876. The Nicol family originally came from Aberdeenshire in Scotland.

Like his father, Pat served in the Royal Artillery rising to Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding the 8th Field Regiment of the Royal Indian Artillery when he died on 7 May 1946 in Rawalpindi, aged 44. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Karachi.

D. Amphlett and Auntie Daisy (c), Llanbrynmair, 1904

D. Amphlett and Auntie Daisy (c), Llanbrynmair, 1904

He features in a number of early photos as a boy in Mary Downing‘s photo albums, on more than one of many family outings and shooting trips. His father took photos (labelled taken by APN) which Mary put in some of her albums. His mother Daisy appears on at least two photos.

Later on, Pamela Downing recalled meeting him in about 1943 in Bletchley Park, where she was working. Pamela was the eldest daughter of Noel Downing, who was one of Pat Nicol’s first cousins. Noel’s mother was Hannah Pitt Showell, older sister to Pat’s mother Daisy Showell.

Noel Downing’s uncle and Pat’s father, (ie Arthur Patrick Nicol) had attended Harrow School leaving in 1892 to go to Oxford. This was some fifteen years before Noel’s educational progress followed the same pattern. Pat Nicol followed in their footsteps and also attended the school. In the Harrow register the address given on his leaving in 1919 is Parkhill House, the residence of his Aunt Dolly Crombie.

Sources

  • Details of Arthur Patrick Nicol and his posting in Ireland 1919/21 are available here.
  • Bellaty Lodge in Glenisla, Forfarshire seems to have become the home of the Nicols.
  • The group photo taken in Llanbrynmair in 1904 is labelled ‘D Amphlett, Auntie Daisy’ in Mary’s hand. Elisa Dorothy Amphlett was a contemporary of Daisy Nicol the daughter of John Amphlett of Clent House, a barrister. Others on the photo would appear to be, l-r, seated and facing, WED, Dorothy Amphlett, Daisy Nicol, Hannah Pitt Downing and Noel Downing. The two Downing twins May and Daisy would have their backs to the camera presumably taken by sister Mary.
Last updated on 4 November 2021 by JJ Morgan