2-24-18 Garand Picture of the Day - more Tarawa Color

[CINDERS]

James Brindley Nicolson

Victoria Cross citation (The only one awarded to a fighter pilot in WWII)

The announcement and accompanying citation for the decoration was published in supplement to the London Gazette on 15 November 1940, reading

Air Ministry, 15 November 1940.

The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery : —

Flight Lieutenant James Brindley NICOLSON (39329) — No. 249 Squadron.

During an engagement with the enemy near Southampton on 16th August 1940, Flight Lieutenant Nicolson's aircraft was hit by four cannon shells, two of which wounded him whilst another set fire to the gravity tank. When about to abandon his aircraft owing to flames in the cockpit he sighted an enemy fighter. This he attacked and shot down, although as a result of staying in his burning aircraft he sustained serious burns to his hands, face, neck and legs. Flight Lieutenant Nicolson has always displayed great enthusiasm for air fighting and this incident shows that he possesses courage and determination of a high order. By continuing to engage the enemy after he had been wounded and his aircraft set on fire, he displayed exceptional gallantry and disregard for the safety of his own life.

What the citation misses is how Nicolson described the affair that engaging enemy aircraft he was bounced by another fighter from 6 o'clock and hit by 4 20mm cannon shells.
Apart from admonishing himself for being bounced he noticed that the german plane had over shot him and was now in a position ahead of him he was half out the burning cockpit.
So sitting back down into the flames and in his words "I will teach you some manners you Hun!" he opened fire on the enemy and shot it down.
He then said to himself what bloody idiot would put a fuel tank directly behind the instrument panel!
By then he says it was high time to abandon the aircraft as it was getting very hot which was made somewhat easier as all the plexi glass had melted from the canopy so he just grabbed the hot bare frame work and baled out.
Then of course his hands were very badly burned he had to pull the rip cord which he accomplished under extreme duress.

In one of my books I think it is about Geoffrey Page who also suffered horrific burns in action and became like Nicolson one of McIndoes Army.
Geoffrey stated that the temperature in the cockpit when the plane is burning goes from about 5 degrees to approximately 350 degrees in about 3 seconds.
These guys just wore uniforms made out of wool & leather not flame retardant gear just like the ground troops who wore no body armour.
How any of them stuck it out for days & years is a testament to their resilience to the cause.