Personnel Index - Detail
F/Lt Nicholls joined 49Sqn in November 1945 from 57 Sqn and had already been awarded the DFC.
His DFC award appears on page 5898 of the Supplement to the London Gazette 37374 published 30 Nov 1945 and dated 4 Dec 1945.
His DFC coincided with his posting from 57 Sqn to 49 Sqn.
Images of Bill Nicholls and logbook extracts are courtesy of his family
Further information via Roger Beford:
Bill was a pilot with 57 Sqn and 49 Sqn. While with 57 Sqn he was shot down on 28/29 July 1944 - they think they were hit by "schrage-musik" - over France (near Arcis-sur-Aube and, oddly, near Mailly-le-Camp and Herbisse). He bailed out so has a silk-worm brooch. They were returning from Stuttgart.
The 57Sqn section of his logbook showing the operation to Stuttgart on the 28th July 1944.......the flying hours page is marked, "missing".
He was an evader and returned to the UK after a month on the run in France where he was helped by the Resistance.
He was repatriated after the post D-Day advance liberated the area in which he was hidden.
He flew one operation whilst serving with 49Sqn on the 29th November 1945 - Operation 'Dodge' to Bari to return PoWs to the UK in Lancaster PB989 EA-P.
The logbook page showing the Bari operation flown with 49Sqn in November/December 1945
Posted out: 2005