Ronald Max Nichols
Military ROLL OF HONOUR"Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 19 "Killed in Action", by Charles D Taylor
Assigned to 654BS, 25BG, 8AF USAAF. On 12-Aug-44, pilot Nichols and navigator Harris were on a weather scout report to Russia and Italy in a Mosquito bomber. Fell to friendly P-51 fire over Toulouse, France KIA
Flew with Navigator Lt Elbert F Harris.
Misidentified and shot down by a USAAF P-51 of the 357th Fighter Group at about 11:45 hrs. The Mustang pilot and his wingman climbed to engage from 23,000 feet and the Mosquito spun in from 29,000 feet. In the after action reports, both P-51 pilots implied that the twin-engined aircraft was silhouetted against the sun, the attacking pilot wrote that he did not see any roundels or invasion stripes on the aircraft and after the bogie turned onto his six o'clock and tried to dive away, he considered it to be hostile. Pilot, Lt. Nichols, was killed. Navigator, Lt. Harris, bailed out and evaded capture. Crash site west of Toulouse, France. Lt. (O-678309) Ronald M. Nichols (pilot) USAAF - killed
Lt. (O-865483) Elbert F. Harris (nav.) USAAF - OK
Awards: PH.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Reconnaissance
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Type Category: Reconnaissance
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 25th Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron 401st Bomb Squadron 653rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19079017
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 25th Bomb Group 653rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-865483
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: Mosquito
- Unit: 25th Bomb Group 653rd Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Colfax, IA 50054, USA | 11 November 1919 | Son of George and Jennie Nichols. |
Enlisted |
10 April 1942 | Des Moines, Iowa | |
Died Killed in action |
Toulouse, France | 12 August 1944 | Killed in Action (KIA) |
Buried |
Colfax Cemetery Colfax, Jasper County, IA | Colfax Cemetery Colfax, Jasper County, Iowa | |
Based |
Watton | 12 August 1944 | Assigned to 654BS, 25BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Norman Malayney, "The 25th Bomb Group (Rcn) in WWII" Schiffer Publications Ltd. 2011.
Norman Malayney, "The 25th Bomb Group (Rcn) in WWII" Schiffer Publications Ltd. 2011.
Additional biographical details from http://www.findagrave.com
Combat Chronology Supplements p. 540 and 192, Aerial Intelligence of the 8th AF, p. 8, 58-70; 174-5 personal accunt of the pilot p.174; / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia