Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Jevon Albert "Jeff" Nicklin OBE (December 10, 1914 − March 24, 1945) was a

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player. He fought during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and was one of the first Canadians to jump on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

, 6 June 1944, and led the

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was an Airborne forces, airborne infantry battalion of the Canadian Army formed in July 1942 during the World War II, Second World War; it served in Western Front (World War II)#1944–45: The Second Front, Nort ...

in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

and later when it jumped into German territory in

Operation Varsity Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest air ...

during the final stages of the war in March 1945. Nicklin was killed in action during the operation.

Football career

The native of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

was born in 1914, the son of Percy Harold Nicklin and Eva Louise Nicklin. He played

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

as a

back The human back, also called the dorsum, is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral column runs ...

with the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...

from 1934 to 1940. In 1935, Winnipeg became the first Western team to capture the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

. While Nicklin was there, the club advanced to the Grey Cup twice more in 1937 and

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

, before losing in the finals.Jeff Nicklin; Athlete/Football; Inducted 2004
, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, retrieved August 22, 2010. In 1939, Winnipeg returned to capture the

27th Grey Cup The 27th Grey Cup was played on December 9, 1939, before 11,738 fans at Lansdowne Park at Ottawa. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders 8–7. The weekend of the match saw very low temperatures so the night before the game th ...

by defeating the

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine ...

.Lt.-Col. Jeff Nicklin, Rugby Star, OC Paratroops Unit, Killed by Huns
''Ottawa Citizen'', March 28, 1945. Nicklin received Western all-star honours as an end in 1937 and 1938, and as

flying wing A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft that has no definite fuselage, with its crew, payload, fuel, and equipment housed inside the main wing structure. A flying wing may have various small protuberances such as pods, nacelles, blis ...

in 1939. 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).

Military service

Nicklin served in the

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

(1939−1945), and, after enlisting in the

Royal Winnipeg Rifles The Royal Winnipeg Rifles (R Wpg Rif) are a Primary Reserve one-battalion infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Nicknamed the "Little Black Devils", they are based at Minto Armoury in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles are part of 3r ...

of the

in the summer of 1940, he worked his way up through the ranks from

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

and later was commissioned as an officer. In 1941, he deployed to Europe. Nicklin received parachute training in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and then returned to Canada to establish the country's first parachute unit at Camp Shilo,

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

. He became the

Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

(CO) of the

, 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 Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on November 10, 1944. Nicklin was one of the first Canadians to jump on

in June 1944 and later one of the first to jump into Germany. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, he landed in the midst of a German position at

Varaville Varaville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It gives its name to the Battle of Varaville The Battle of Varaville was a battle fought in 1057 by William, Duke of Normandy, against King H ...

. His parachute was ensnared on a rooftop, and he received fire from German soldiers before he cut himself free and took cover. He eventually rejoined his unit, and was later wounded by

shrapnel Shrapnel may refer to: Military * Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use * Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material Popular culture * ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics) * ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...

. He was killed in action on March 24, 1945 During an airborne assault across the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

northwest of

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighove ...

as part of

, Nicklin's parachute became tangled in a tall tree, and as he attempted to free himself, he was shot and killed by German soldiers.Helpless After 'Chute Leap, Jeff Nicklin Slain By Foe
''Toronto Daily Star'', March 31, 1945. He is now buried in

Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial ( French:''Le Cimetière de Guerre Canadien Groesbeek'', Dutch:''Canadese Oorlogsbegraafplaats Groesbeek'') is a Second World War Commonwealth War Graves Commission military war grave cemetery, locate ...

. He left a widow, Mary Eileen Nicklin, in

Port Credit, Ontario Port Credit is a neighbourhood in the south-central part of the City of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Credit River on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Its main intersection is Hurontario Street and Lakeshore Road, a ...

. On July 12, 1945 it was announced that he had been appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North-West Europe (to be dated the 30th June, 1945)". The original recommendation for the honour describes how he was able to "rectify certain aspects of the Battalion's life which were not satisfactory" and credited him with "the smooth working and unparalleled success which has met the inclusion of a Canadian Battalion in a British Brigade", the recommendation concludes, "throughout the present campaign his example of courageous leadership has been an example to all who have come into contact with him."

Legacy

* The

Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy The Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Canadian Football League West Division's most outstanding player, chosen from the nominees from each team in the division. Either this trophy winner or the winner of the Terry Evanshen T ...

for the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

West Division's most valuable player is named in his honour.Jeff Nicklin: Hero of the Gridiron and the Battlefield
CPAC, June 4, 2007. Nicklin was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Sportswriter

Vince Leah Vincent Leah (November 29, 1913August 9, 1993) was a Canadian journalist, writer and sports administrator. He wrote for ''The Winnipeg Tribune'' from 1930 to 1980, and was credited with giving the Winnipeg Blue Bombers their team's name. He es ...

placed Nicklin atop his list of all-time greatest Winnipeg players in ''A History of the Blue Bombers''. * 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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicklin, Jeff 1914 births 1945 deaths Sportspeople from Winnipeg Players of Canadian football from Manitoba Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Canadian military personnel killed in World War II Canadian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Canadian Army personnel of World War II Deaths by firearm in Germany Royal Winnipeg Rifles officers Royal Winnipeg Rifles soldiers Canadian military personnel from Manitoba 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion