A DECORATED soldier who died while accidentally shooting himself in the face has finally been honoured with a commemorative headstone.

Captain John Henry Nicholson joined the army when he was 19 years old.

He served as a senior warrant officer and company sergeant major in the Royal Artillery and finally in the Army Ordnance Department.

Between 1909 and 1912 he spent three years serving in Hong Kong and returned to the UK where he moved to Colchester and lived in Maldon Road.

He died aged 51 at 7.30am on November 6 1915 at Avington Park Camp in Hampshire when he accidentally discharged his revolver whilst cleaning it in preparation for duty.

He had been posted there whilst the area was being used as as transit camp.

His death was reported in the Gazette’s sister paper the Essex County Standard in the days after the accident.

At the time, authorities did not report his death to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which meant he was never given a commission headstone or remembered on the roll of honour.

Gazette: Captain John Nicholson

Honoured - Captain John Henry Nicholson

But John’s great grandson David Nicholls, who lives on Mersea Island, has researched his death and brought it to the attention of the commission.

He has now been honoured with a headstone at the Winchester West Hill Old Cemetery.

Mr Nicholls, 73, said: “According to press reports at the time of his death, my great grandfather was a well-known and respected officer in both Colchester Garrison and the wider community.

“He was a devout Christian, a Presbyterian, and an active member of Lion Walk Church in Colchester.

“During his previous posting of three years in Hong Kong, he was involved with building a mission there.

“The real mystery about him is we have no idea about his own parentage, and will probably never know the truth.

“I was actually born into my grand grandmother’s house and remember there being a lot of Chinese artefacts around the place.

“By the time the First World War came around he was probably too old for service and I think the manner of his death meant he was forgotten about a bit.

“On a lighter side, my great grandfather was also a keen sportsman, capable of beating much younger men at tennis when he was 50 years old.”

Capt Nicholson married his wife Alice Benson in 1889 and they had seven children, Grace, Sidney, May, Hilda, Kenneth, Cyril and Elsie. Tragically, the couple lost two of their daughters while they were still children- Grace to Scarlet Fever when she was only seven-years-old and two-year-old May to diphtheria.

Les Kibble, the commission’s regional manager for the south east, said: “We are always honoured to be able to commemorate those who died during both world wars and to make sure they are remembered for their sacrifice – whether their death was on the battlefields abroad or here on home soil.

“Now that John has a commission headstone, everyone who comes to visit this cemetery will know he fought for his country and that he should always be remembered for that.”