Edward Nicolay was born in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1907, the son of Colonel Bernard Underwood Nicolay and Alice Gertrude Nicolay (née Braddon).  He joined the Royal Navy in 1920 and saw service in the battleship HMS RESOLUTION and the cruiser HMS EFFINGHAM.

He joined HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine Course’ in 1928.  In 1929 he was appointed to the Submarine Flotilla Leader HMS DOUGLAS in the Mediterranean ‘for Submarine K26 as the Navigator’. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1930.  In July 1931 he was serving in HMS H33 as First Lieutenant.

He completed his ‘Big Ship’ time in HMS CENTAUR between August 1931 and September 1932.   He returned to submarines with an appointment to HMS L22.  In 1935 he was serving in HMS PERSEUS as First Lieutenant.

He completed his ‘Commanding Officers Qualifying Course’ in 1935, his first Command appointment being to HMS H33. He was promoted Lieutenant Commander in 1938 and appointed to command HMS SEAWOLF followed by HMS OTUS in 1939.  This was followed by an appointment to HMS TAKU in command in 1941.  He was awarded the DSO for his patrols in TAKU – see London Gazette dated December 1941.  

He took command of HMS PERSEUS in August 1941. He died in PERSEUS on 6 December 1941 when the submarine was sunk after hitting an Italian mine off the island of Kefalonia.  Edward Nicolay was the husband of Sheila Doris Nicolay (née Graham).  He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No 45 Column No 1.