Cecil Patteson Nickalls, D.S.O. (14 October 1877 – 7 April 1925) was a Colonel in the

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...

. He was a champion polo player, and a champion rugby player, who killed himself with a gun on 7 April 1925.

Early life

He was born on 14 October 1877 in

Kent, England Kent is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Greater London to the north-west. ...

to Sir Patteson Nickalls. His siblings were, Patteson Womersley Nickalls and Morres Nickalls. He was educated at Rugby School.

Career

In the 1890s he played cricket. He scored 109 at

Lord's Cricket Ground Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...

against Marlborough for Rugby in 1894. He was on the British team that won the

International Polo Cup The International Polo Cup, also called the Newport Cup and the Westchester Cup, is a trophy in polo that was created in 1886 and is played for by teams from the United States and England. Matches were conducted 12 times between 1886 and 1939, su ...

at the

Hurlingham Club The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive private social and athletic club located in the Fulham area of London, England. Founded in 1869, it has a Georgian-style clubhouse set in of grounds. It is a member of the Association of London Clubs. Hi ...

in 1902 with his brother Patteson Womersley Nickalls, Frederick Maitland Freake, Walter Selby Buckmaster, George Arthur Miller and Charles Darley Miller. He played on the English team against Ireland in 1905 and 1911. He served as a captain in the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was awarded the DSO and wounded.

Personal life

He married Olivia Mary Miller in 1904 in Rugby, England.

Death

Nickalls committed suicide with a gun on 7 April 1925 in Rugby, England.

References

External links

1877 births 1925 deaths 1925 suicides Rugby union players from Kent English polo players English rugby union players Suicides by firearm in England International Polo Cup Royal Field Artillery officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British military personnel who died by suicide British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Kent Nickalls family People educated at Rugby School {{UK-polo-bio-stub