Victor Charles Nicholls

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Maida, Victor died on 16th of March 1940 at the age of 36. 

Victor was born at Lowestoft on 25 May 1903, a son of Charles and Harriet Nicholls. In 1911 his family lived at 17 Beckham Road, Lowestoft. By 1921 they were living at 86 Worthing Road and Victor worked as a plumber's mate for Mr. Fuller, plumber and painter, of Oulton Broad. 

Victor married Blanche Marion Harwood at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 28 March 1929. At that time Victor was living at 66 Sussex Road, and working as an engineer, and Marion worked as a beatster and lived at 100 Oxford Road. By 1939 they were living at 104 Beccles Road, Oulton, Lowestoft, and Victor was a chief engineer on a steam trawler.

During the Second World War Victor served with the Royal Naval Patrol Service and was an engineman on H.M. Drfiter Maida. The Maida was used in minesweeping duties and was sunk by a mine off Margate, ten miles east of North Foreland. Six of the crew, including Victor, were killed and six rescued by the minesweeping drifter Mare.