Nuneaton, Warwickshire, EnglandNicolson VC The full and authorized biography of James Brindley Nicolson, The only pilot in Fighter Command in World War II to be awarded the Victoria Cross by Peter D Mason page 119,120
Kightley, Eric Leslie (Warrant Officer)
Rescued 1945-May-02
Birth Date: unkown date
Born: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Parents:
Spouse:
Home: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Enlistment: Coventry, England
Enlistment Date: 1941-June-07
Service
RAFVR
Unit
355 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Liberamus Per Caerula We liberate through tropical skies
Base
RAF Salbani, West Bengal, India
Rank
Warrant Officer
Position
Air Gunner (Nose)
Service Numbers
1480397
Mission
Liberator B 24 KH210
Bombing Rangoon, Burma 1945-May-02 to 1945-May-02
355 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Salbani, West Bengal, India
355 Squadron (Liberamus per caerula) RAF Salbani, India. The crew of Liberator VI aircraft KH 210 "R" left Salbani for an operation to bomb gun emplacements at Rangoon, Burma but over the Bay of Bengal, the Liberator's outer-port engine caught fire. The propeller was feathered and bomb-load jettisoned before they reversed course in an attempt to return to base. The aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and the captain gave the ditching warning, but at 200 feet the aircraft rolled, dropped the starboard wing and crashed into the sea, killing 10 of the 12 crew aboard the aircraft
Sergeant Robert Taylor Bell (RAFVR), Flying Officer John Calland (RAFVR), Flight Sergeant Donald Urquhart Cameron (RAFVR), Squadron Leader Gerald Anthony De Souza (RAFVR), Sergeant Laurence Helsby (RAFVR), Flying Officer Brian Hill (RAFVR), Flight Sergeant Donald Tofft Nicolson (RAAF), Wing Commander James Brindley Eric Nicolson VC DFC (3 TAF/HQ) and Pilot Officer Jack Spillard (RAFVR) were all missing, presumed killed in action. The missing have no known grave and they are all commemorated on the Singapore Memorial
Only one body was recovered from the crew members killed in action, Canadian Flight Sergeant Samuel Arthur Doherty (RCAF), the second Wireless Operator, who was buried in Calcutta, India
Two crew members, Flight Sergeant Michael Henry Pullen (RAAF) and Warrant Officer Eric Leslie Kightly (RAFVR) were both injured but survived to be rescued by an Air-Sea Rescue Catalina after clinging to floating pieces of their aircraft wreckage for more than 16 hours
The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service by James D Oughton with John Hamlin and Andrew Thomas, page 207
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
(19) Eric Kightley, James Nicolson VC Ditching of Liberator KH210 355...
Liberator KH210 B 24 - Bombing Rangoon, Burma - 1945-05-02 to 1945-05-02
Squadron: 355 (B) Sqn (RAF)
Start Date: 1945-05-02
Completion Date: 1945-05-02
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Rangoon, Burma
Target Specific: gun emplacements
Base: RAF Salbani, West Bengal, India
Take Off Time: 00:51:00
Squadron Code: R
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: at sea
Crash Specifics: Bay of Bengal
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: engine
Flak Battery: unspecified
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
6 Group Unavailable
355 Squadron (Liberamus per caerula) RAF Salbani, India. The crew of Liberator VI aircraft KH 210 "R" left Salbani for an operation to bomb gun emplacements at Rangoon, Burma but over the Bay of Bengal, the Liberator's outer-port engine caught fire. The propeller was feathered and bomb-load jettisoned before they reversed course in an attempt to return to base. The aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and the captain gave the ditching warning, but at 200 feet the aircraft rolled, dropped the starboard wing and crashed into the sea, killing 10 of the 12 crew aboard the aircraft
Sergeant Robert Taylor Bell (RAFVR), Flying Officer John Calland (RAFVR), Flight Sergeant Donald Urquhart Cameron (RAFVR), Squadron Leader Gerald Anthony De Souza (RAFVR), Sergeant Laurence Helsby (RAFVR), Flying Officer Brian Hill (RAFVR), Flight Sergeant Donald Tofft Nicolson (RAAF), Wing Commander James Brindley Eric Nicolson VC DFC (3 TAF/HQ) and Pilot Officer Jack Spillard (RAFVR) were all missing, presumed killed in action. The missing have no known grave and they are all commemorated on the Singapore Memorial
Only one body was recovered from the crew members killed in action, Canadian Flight Sergeant Samuel Arthur Doherty (RCAF), the second Wireless Operator, who was buried in Calcutta, India
Two crew members, Flight Sergeant Michael Henry Pullen (RAAF) and Warrant Officer Eric Leslie Kightly (RAFVR) were both injured but survived to be rescued by an Air-Sea Rescue Catalina after clinging to floating pieces of their aircraft wreckage for more than 16 hours
The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service by James D Oughton with John Hamlin and Andrew Thomas, page 207
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
(19) Eric Kightley, James Nicolson VC Ditching of Liberator KH210 355...