Thomas Leslie Nichols, born on 4th December 1892, was admitted to King Edward’s School in January 1905. He lived with his parents, Harriet and Walter, a commercial tobacco merchant, and his sister, Lilian, at 73, Wentworth Road, Harborne.
At School, Thomas was not an active sportsman, but placed consistently near the top of his class, with a particular interest in science and French.
In 1914, Thomas enlisted as a Private Soldier in the 3rd Birmingham Pals Battalion (16th Royal Warwickshire Regiment). He received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 17th Battalion in August 1915, and was wounded in France where he was sent later that year with the 15th Battalion. After a period of convalescence, Thomas returned to France and was killed in action at Arras on 8th May 1917. He is buried in Orchamp Dump Cemetery, Arleux-en-Gohelle, France, and he left his estate of £160 to his father.