Portrait of RSM John James Nicholson, Vancouver. The head and shoulders portrait shows him grinning. He is wearing a balmoral bonnet, a Sam Browne belt and a service dress tunic. John James Nicholson was born in County Mayo, Ireland on October 17, 1893. His father was a sergeant in the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). He emigrated to Canada in 1912 and enlisted in the Royal Canadian North West Mounted Police. John was engaged in the Force (Reg. # 5562) on April 26, 1913. He served in various posts in Saskatchewan. On May 2, 1916, he chose not to re-engage and instead sought employment in the Saskatchewan Secret Service (later to become the Saskatchewan Provincial Police) whose main goals was to enforce liquor laws and deal with enemy aliens. Conditions were not good for him or his new wife and he quit the SPP to join the Alberta Provincial Police February 15, 1918. In 1929 he left the APP once they were absorbed by the RCMP. In 1930, John brought his family to Vancouver, British Columbia where he applied for and was accepted into the Vancouver Police Department. From 1930 to 1939, he rose to the rank of Detective Sergeant. Their first home was a duplex on Guelph Street in Vancouver. Nicholson joined the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada in 1934 and quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant. In his early years in the Militia unit, they "usually were doing drill and having meetings a few nights a week and on the weekend." On September 1, 1939 and nine days before the Canadian government declared war on Germany, the Seaforth Highlanders were ordered to mobilize. With this mobilization, John resigned from the Vancouver Police Department. In just one week, the regiment recruited up to its full war-time strength. With the rapid increase in establishment in the Regiment, John Nicholson was promoted to Sergeant Major (WO II) in October 1939 and two years later promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major (WO I). In December 20, 1939, John Nicholson and his Regiment were on board the "His Majesty's Troopship (HMT) Andes" departing the Halifax harbour for Scotland. After the disaster at Dunkirk, the Seaforths were one of the few fully equipped regiments in England. During the Battle of Britain, the Seaforth Highlanders provided support roles as: manning anti-air batteries; providing parachute defence and frontline coastal defences. In July 1943, the Regiment was deployed to Italy and participated in the invasion of Sicily and advanced into Italy's mainland. Apparently, John Nicholson wasn't deployed to Italy because he was over the age limit for combat by two years. He remained in England in a training capacity. During the later stages of the war, John was shifted from training of troops to various policing duties in England. On Sunday October 7, 1945, John Nicholson returned to Vancouver with the Seaforths. The entire Regiment paraded six abreast along Granville, Georgia and Burrard Streets led by the Regiment's Pipes and Drums. It was estimated that 100,000 people turned out to line the streets and wave flags to welcome home their Vancouver heroes. After returning to Vancouver, he chose not to return to the Vancouver Police Department and secured a civilian investigator position with the Canadian Department of National Defense. His work including housing inspections for low-income projects. In 1952, John and Kathleen moved to San Mateo, California to be near his eldest daughter and her family. While there in California, John secured a security guard position with the United Airlines' San Francisco Operational Maintenance Branch. On June 13, 1957, John Nicholson passed away at the Stanford University Hospital.