Lionel Douglas Nicholson was the fourth child of Charles and Elizabeth Nicholson

Lionel was a draper in Karangahape Road, Auckland from the late 1890's until the 1930's

Lionel enlisted at Auckland on 12 August 1914 and trained until being shipped out on 23 September 1914

On 16 /17 November 1914 Lionel forfeited 4 days pay for being absent without leave

Lionel is noted as being at Egypt on 6 December 1914. From here he embarked on the troopship Goslar on 12 April 1914 for transport to the Dardanelles. Over the period of 5 & 6 May 1915 Lionel would have landed at Cape Helles (V Beach) with the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago Regiments. These Regiments were involved in an advance attack along Cape Helles Ridge known as Krithia Nullah across open ground named The Daisy Patch

On 6 May 1915 Lionel was admitted to the Casualty Clearing Station with a gun shot wound to the head. He was transferred to a Hospital Ship on 8 May 1915 but was not admitted and so returned to duty. The next day he was admitted to Hospital because of enteritis and transferred to Mudros on Lemnos Island

On 11 September 1915 he was admitted to the Hospital Ship Gascon because of diarrhoea and then transported to Malta

16 October 1915 saw Lionel embarking on Troopship Carrisbrook Castle for England

On 23 October 1915 Lionel was admitted to Fulham Military Hospital at Hammersmith, London, because of dysentery

On 11 January 1916 Lionel was added to the Staff Platoon at the New Zealand Base at Hornchurch

Between late January and July 1916 it is believed that Lionel was in France

8 July 1916 he was transferred from Camp to Rouen by the New Zealand Commanding Officer. Later in the month (31 July) he was attached to the New Zealand Casualty Camp at Hornchurch

Lionel was at H.Q. in London on 5 October 1917 "on command"

16 January 1918 he was admitted to London Hospital because of influenza

On 22 May 1918 while at Aldershot Lionel was discharged to the New Zealand Medical Corps Depot, proceeding to the New Zealand Discharge Depot at Torquay on 26 May 1918. It seems that Lionel was unfit for further active war service and was discharged to New Zealand. He was deemed not to be physically fit for war service during the period of engagement

On 30 May 1918 Lionel embarked from Plymouth, England on the Hospital Ship Maheno

From 7 November to 20 November 1918 Lionel was at Trentham Hospital being treated for influenza

A certificate of discharge was issued for Lionel on 1 February 1919

Lionel's military record seems to show that he spent much time in hospitals, but not all of this time may have been because of illness or injury as he was a medical orderly and these visits may have been for nursing other patients. Towards the end of the war he did have periods of illness (see above) that rendered him physically unfit for any further war service and eventually he was sent home before the war ended on 11 November 1918 AWMM