another loss - Dave Nicholls

[Tiny Hart]

Sent a letter to Dave Nicholls ref mini reunion in Poole. Sadly have received message from family on my answerphone that he died in june of this year.

[Mike Kemble]

I have copied this sad, sad info onto the message board in the site for those not yet on this medium.

[Mel stammers]

I joined the Cambrai Band in Sept 79 and Dave was the WO2. He was the most incredible person I knew in the Tankies. He was not only one of the few NCO's that went onto be commissioned but what is remarkable he was a bandsman. He progressed to Major by the time I Left.

One of my best memories was when the band was marching in the Hannover Schutzenfest at the time Bobby Sands was doing his hunger strike. Several sympathsizers were sat in the road. As we past over them nick struck one with the mace ( just looked like a twitch of the wrist I say) The person got to his feet to be struck by the bass drum stick ( got in the way) and glanced with a cymbal ( for making an unmusical scream) to fall in a heap as the clarinet section trampled over him with such suttleness the police arrested the individual.

Top guy and deserves a top place up there!!!!!!!!

sorely missed

[Paul Ramsay]

Dave was my mate from the day the band came to "live " with 1 RTR in Herford - He was a true gentleman and a good ear for me to talk to, would do anything for him and vica versa, you are right Mel he was a Star!!!

[Dave Henley]

RIP Dave, another good un' who will be sadly missed

[Gilbert Bridger]

A softly spoken man and great fun. R.I.P my friend

Gilby

[Mick Hellier]

A very sad loss, RIP Dave, bought my first Mess Dress off of Dave

Tich

[SMatthews]

RIP Dave, worked with him at Manchester in 1986 great bloke lovely boss
Regimental information team.

[Nigel lewis]

I was 2i/c HQ Sqn when Dave was commissioned and he came to the Sqn to be PRI I think. The then OC, Peter Denning-Smitherman, suggested that Dave deploy on the next CPX we had to give him a feel for what happened on exercise he having been in the band until then. I arranged with Dave to pick him up at his house on the morning we deployed and told him what kit he would need to bring.

I arrived to collect Dave and he was waiting in the drive with his complete exercise equipment in an Army suitcase and 2 combat suits on coathangars. Taught me a good lesson i.e. that most mistakes can be traced back to bad briefing not individual intent.