Posted By Annette Tison on June 20, 2005 at 07:10:43:
In Reply to: William P Nicholson-392nd BG/ 579 BS posted by Loretta Bedus on June 18, 2005 at 22:55:35:
2Lt William P. Nicholson was a veteran of 6 diversions and 3 missions before being shot down on his 4th mission. Three of these were as copilot, the rest were as pilot.
The diversions were:
6 Sept 1943 in plane #469. This was a diversion sweep over the North Sea in conjunction with raids by the First and Fourth Wings. Practice bombs were dropped. (copilot)
23 Sept 1943 in plane #510 (pilot)
26 Sept 1943 in plane #543 (pilot)
27 Sept 1943 in plane #543 (pilot)
18 Oct 1943 in plane #543 (pilot)
20 Oct 1943 in plane #484 (pilot)
The missions were:
9 Sept 1943 in plane #471 to Abbeyville (copilot). This was the first mission flown by the 392nd BG.
4 Oct 1943 in plane #543 to Frijian Islands (copilot)
8 Oct 1943 in plane #477 (pilot)
5 Nov 1943 in plane #543 (pilot). The 392nd BG lost 3 planes on this mission with 16 airmen killed in action and 14 becoming prisoners of war, including 2Lt Nicholson.
I highly recommend you visit the 392nd Bomb Group's website at www.b24.net. There, you'll find more information about each of these missions plus information from 2Lt Nicholson's Missing Air Crew Report.
Annette Tison
392nd Bomb Group researcher