Jeff Nicklin
Jeff Nicklin | |
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| Born | December 10, 1914 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | March 24, 1945 (aged 30) Wesel, Germany |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service | Canadian Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Royal Winnipeg Rifles |
| Commands | 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Football career
The native of
He also played in the Tea Bowl for the Canadian Army football team against American Army team at White City Stadium on February 13, 1944 in London, England (the Canadians won 16-6, and Nicklin scored the final touchdown).[6]
Military service
Nicklin served in the Canadian Army during the Second World War (1939−1945), and, after enlisting in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles of the Canadian Army in the summer of 1940, he worked his way up through the ranks from private and later was commissioned as an officer.[5] In 1941, he deployed to Europe.[5]
Nicklin received parachute training in the United States at Fort Benning, Georgia, and then returned to Canada to establish the country's first parachute unit at Camp Shilo, Manitoba. He became the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, then serving as part of the 3rd Parachute Brigade of the British 6th Airborne Division, just before November 1, 1944 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on November 10, 1944.[5] Nicklin was one of the first Canadians to jump on D-Day in June 1944 and later one of the first to jump into Germany.[1][5]
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, he landed in the midst of a German position at Varaville. His parachute was ensnared on a rooftop, and he received fire from German soldiers before he cut himself free and took cover.[5] He eventually rejoined his unit, and was later wounded by shrapnel.[5][7]
He was killed in action on March 24, 1945.
Legacy
- The West Division's most valuable player is named in his honour.[9] Nicklin was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[4] Sportswriter Vince Leah placed Nicklin atop his list of all-time greatest Winnipeg players in A History of the Blue Bombers.[4]
- A documentary film about Nicklin, Jeff Nicklin: Hero of the Gridiron and the Battlefield, has been produced by the War Amps of Canada.
- Nicklin's story and that of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion during Operation Varsity was featured in the episode "Across the Rhine - Paratroopers in Germany" of Season 1 of the documentary series War Story.
References
- ^ a b c Helpless After 'Chute Leap, Jeff Nicklin Slain By Foe, Toronto Daily Star, March 31, 1945.
- ^ a b "Casualty Details: Nicklin, Jeff Albert". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- ^ All-Time CFL Player Roster; Alphabetic Listing by Last Name: N, CFLapedia, retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Jeff Nicklin; Athlete/Football; Inducted 2004 Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lt.-Col. Jeff Nicklin, Rugby Star, OC Paratroops Unit, Killed by Huns, Ottawa Citizen, March 28, 1945.
- ^ The coffee & tea bowls: football classics: Canada vs. the United States in wartime London as Spitfires fly cover.
- ^ a b "Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Nicklin, Jevon Albert" (fee usually required to view pdf of original recommendation). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- ^ "No. 37172". The London Gazette (Supplement). July 10, 1945. p. 3589.
- ^ Jeff Nicklin: Hero of the Gridiron and the Battlefield, CPAC, June 4, 2007.
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