Sgt Arthur D Nicholson RAFVR and crew - 103 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds - 1943
Failed to Return - 28/29th April 1943 - Avro Lancaster III - ED733 - Op Mining in Danzig Bay.
Sgt Nicholson (pictured above) and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron in early April 1943. Their first operation resulted in a landing at Tangmere with engine problems. They completed 2 missions successfully before being shot down on their 4th. The Nicholson crew tour was as follows :-
10-Apr-43 - Frankfurt - Lancaster - W4821 - Sgt AD Nicholson - Landed at Tangmere with starboard inner engine U/S and starboard outer running rough.
18-Apr-43 - La Spezia - Lancaster - ED646 - Sgt AD Nicholson
20-Apr-43 - Stettin - Lancaster - ED646 - Sgt AD Nicholson
26-Apr-43 - Duisburg - Lancaster - ED733 - Sgt AD Nicholson
28-Apr-43 - Gulf of Danzig - Lancaster - ED733 – Sgt AD Nicholson – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed at Jordrup, Denmark.
All the crew were killed and rest in the Esbjerg Fourfeldt Cemetery, Denmark
Sgt Arthur Denis Nicholson RAFVR – Pilot - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of James Bertram and Mary Florence Nicholson, of Ryton, County Durham - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark.
Sgt George LK McCallum RAF – Flight Engineer - 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of Dugald and Isabella McCallum, of North Queensferry, Fife - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark.
P/O Leonard Meakin RAFVR - Navigator - 27 – 103 Sqn - Son of John and Catherine Meakin, of Gayton, Cheshire - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark.
Sgt James Charles Lilley RAFVR - Air Bomber – 103 Sqn - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark.
Sgt Thomas James Daley RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of Thomas and Martha Daley, of Silloth, Cumberland - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark.
Sgt Maurice Dawbry Peters RAFVR – Air Gunner ( pictured above ) - 29 – 103 Sqn - Son of Charles Pooley Peters and Elizabeth Jane Peters; husband of D. J. Peters, of Paignton, Devon - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark.
Sgt Abraham Segal RAFVR - Air Gunner - 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of Lazarus and Fanny Segal, of Southgate, Middlesex - Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
Claim by Oblt Paul Paul Szameitat 5/NJG3 - Jordrup North West of Kolding (9838 c 1, Fledermaus): 3,500m at 03:51.
Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1943 Part 1 - Theo Boiten. Thanks to John Jones
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28-Apr-43 - Gulf of Danzig
103 Squadron detailed 7 aircraft to lay mines in the Gulf of Danzig. All except one which is missing had a quite and successful trip although a fair amount of light flak from land and flak ships was seen engaging other aircraft some of which were observed to crash. One aircraft had an engine become unserviceable on take off and it landed with its mine load after jettisoning some petrol. There was 10/10ths cloud at 8000 ft in some parts of the Gulf but visibility was excellent and pin pointing was easy. Mines were laid from about 1500 ft. All except Sgt Nicholson and crew returned to base.
For this major minelaying effort Bomber Command detailed a total of: 207 aircraft - 68 Lancasters, 60 Halifaxes, 47 Wellingtons, 32 Stirlings. 167 aircraft laid 593 mines off Heligoland, in the River Elbe and in the Great and Little Belts. Low cloud over the German and Danish Coasts forced the minelayers to fly low in order to establish their positions before laying their mines and much German light flak activity was seen. 22 aircraft - 7 Lancasters, 7 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes - were lost. This was the heaviest loss of aircraft while minelaying in the war, but the number of mines laid was the highest in one night.
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Lancaster - ED733
03-Apr-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED733 – F/L AS Cook RAAF
04-Apr-43 – Kiel – Lancaster – ED733 – F/S AD Kemp
10-Apr-43 – Frankfurt – Lancaster – ED733 – P/O ER Crampton
13-Apr-43 – La Spezia – Lancaster – ED733 – P/O ER Crampton – Landed at Exeter
16-Apr-43 – Pilsen – Lancaster – ED733 – P/O ER Crampton
18-Apr-43 – La Spezia – Lancaster – ED733 – Sgt NJ Ryan
18-Apr-43 – La Spezia – Lancaster – ED733 – P/O ER Crampton
20-Apr-43 – Stettin - Lancaster – ED733 – P/O ER Crampton
26-Apr-43 – Duisburg – Lancaster – ED733 – Sgt AD Nicholson
28-Apr-43 – Gulf of Danzig – Lancaster – ED733 – Sgt AD Nicholson - FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed at Jordrup, Denmark.
For details of the loss of this crew see the ED733 Crash Page on the Air War Over Denmark website here
For details of Arthur Nicholson see the Ryton War Memorial website here.
Written by David Fell. Nicholson photo courtesy of the Ryton War Memorial website. Sgt Peters photo from the family
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