Cyril Nicholas

Who is Cyril Nicholas?

Captain Cyril Wace Nicholas, MC, KRR was a Ceylonese soldier, civil servant and forester. He was the first Warden of the Wild Life Department.

Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo, he went on to study at the University of Cambridge. However he left before finishing his degree due to the out set of World War I to join the British Army and was commissioned in to the King's Royal Rifles. He became a subaltern, later promoted to captain. He saw action on the western front, winning a Military Cross for bravery in the field. After being wounded in battle he left the army on medical grounds and return to Ceylon.

Sitting for the Special Civil Service Examination for War Service personnel, he was placed first on the list but was not appointment to the Ceylon Civil Service on medical grounds. He was accepted to the Department of Excise and became an Assistant Superintendent of Excise in Batticaloa and served in many parts of the island. He was promoted as Deputy Commissioner of Excise. In December 1950 he became the first Warden of the newly established Wild Life Department.

A few days before his death the Royal Asiatic Society was on the point of awarding him its gold medal and the University of Ceylon award a Honorary Doctorate to him posthumously.