PHOTOS: FUNERAL FOR SGT. HENRY NICHOLAS

funeral service for sgt. henry nicholas, VC, 1918

henry james nicholas served in the 1st battalion canterbury regiment during the first world war. he was awarded the victoria cross after leading an assault to take a german stronghold in belgium, december 1917. in a separate action in the next, he was awarded the military medal for gallantry. 19 days before the armistice, sgt. nicholas was killed in action while defending a bridge in the south of france. he was buried in a church yard in where his remains still lay today.

nearly 700,000 british men and boys were killed in the first world war— a small number compared to the combined military/civilian estimate of 18 million deaths in the entire conflict.