• Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid)

Date of birth:

May 17th, 1910 (Northwood/Middlesex, England)

Date of death:

May 17th, 1943 (Castricum aan Zee, Netherlands)

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Bergen
Plot: II. Row: E. Grave: 28.

Service number:

1377941

Nationality:

British

Lawrence William Nichols was born in Northwood, Middlesex on 17 May 1910. He was the eldest of four children born to Edward and Florence Nichols, with Edward being a coal merchant. In 1933, Lawrence Nichols married Georgina, and together they had two children. Before volunteering for the RAF in 1940, he worked as a haberdasher in Oxford Street and later as the manager of a branch of Currys in North Harrow.

After qualifying as a wireless operator/air gunner, he was assigned to the 10 Operational Training Unit at RAF Abingdon in July 1942. Nichols participated in his first operation on 13 September, where he took part in a raid on Bremen. Later that year, he was transferred to the 1660 Conversion Unit and went on his second operation to Berlin on 16 January 1943. Subsequently, he was moved to 57 Squadron at Scampton on 13 March before being reposted to 617 Squadron on 25 March.

On May 16, 1943 at 9:47 PM, the Avro Lancaster III ED887 of the 617 Squadron took off in Lincolnshire to take part in the attack on the Möhne Dam. At 2:58 am the Lancaster was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire and crashed in the surf near Castricum.

The entire crew died.

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• Photo 1: 4 Mei Comité Bergen NH
• Photo 2: Arjo Eijgelsheim
• - 4 Mei Comité Bergen NH
  - Lawrence Williams Nichols | War Casualty Details 2619898 | CWGC
  - Lawrence Williams Nichols | Find A Grave
  - Dambusters

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