A half-length portrait, slightly to the left, showing Nicholson in his admiral’s full dress uniform, 1919–59, wearing his hat and orders: the KCB and the Japanese order of the Rising Sun (second class). He may be wearing vice-admiral epaulettes.
William Coldingham Masters Nicholson was promoted lieutenant on 21 August 1885 and commander on 1 July 1898. He achieved post rank on 30 June 1905 and between 1908 and 1911 commanded the armoured cruisers HMS ‘Berwick’ and HMS ‘Achilles’. On 1 November 1911 he was appointed captain of the torpedo training school, HMS ‘Vernon’. With the outbreak of war, he was moved to HMS ‘Emperor of India’ and commanded the super-dreadnought HMS ‘Canada’ at the Battle of Jutland.
Nicholson was promoted rear-admiral on 10 June 1916 and made a KCB on 24 March 1919. He was third sea lord in 1919–20. Promoted vice-admiral on 24 November 1920, he was commander of the first battle-cruiser squadron in 1921–22. He was made admiral on 1 July 1925 and retired on 14 October that year.