William Nixon             Updated: 15 JAN 2022    Photo: AS 28 OCT 2019

Airman: a121005.htm Surname: Nixon Init: W Rank: F/O Service: RAF Sqdn: 103

P_link: p370.htm Plane: LAN LM116 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Karup

Crash_d: d300844 Buried_d: b111111 C_link: c121.htm At_Next: Karup - Kiel 5 E 17 - overview

Under returflyvningen fra et bombetogt til Stettin (Szczecin) 30. august 1944 blev Lancaster LM116 skudt i brand over Jylland. Flyet styrtede ned lige nord for Karup. Hele besætningen blev dræbt.
I 1949 fandt RAF Missing Research and Enquiry Unit de jordiske rester af besætningen fra LM 116 på nedstyrtningsstedet, hvor tyskerne havde nedgravet den sammen med rester af flyet. Flyverne blev derpå overført til KIEL WAR CEMETERY. (FAF) De blev begravet i en fællesgrav (Collective grave 5. E. 13-19) (CWGC)
En skjorte med data fra en af flyverne gjorde det muligt at identificere ham og dermed flyet og besætningen. (E.V.H. Jensen) Det blev fastslået i p370MACR at identiteten af flyet var et mysterium til "det i 1949 endeligt blev identificeret på nedstyrtningsstedet ud fra Sgt Sadlers skjorte."

Flyet kom fra sydøst med kurs mod nordvest. Det ramte jorden første gang midt på kvartcirklen Poppelvej og næste gang i Hvidtjørnen inden styrtet som angivet her. Motorer faldt 500 m nord for hovedkrateret vist med pilen. (E.V.H. Jensen)  Se Google Map p370 Lancaster LM116.
Se Lancaster fotos og  Operation 30 AUGUST 1944 - ruter og tab.
103 Squadron gruppebillede * Lancaster/Halifax * Duxford 2018 med LANCASTER.

Flying Officer (Pilot) William Nixon, 23 år, var søn af William og Lily Nixon, Darnall, Sheffield,
United Kingdom. (Kilde: CWGC) 7 flyvere.

Lancaster LM116 was hit and caught fire over Jutland on the return flight from a bombing raid on Stettin (Szczecin) 30 August, 1944. The plane crashed just north of Karup. All of the crew perished.
In 1949 the RAF Missing Research and Enquiry Unit found the earthly remains of the crew of LM 116 at the crash site, where the Germans had dug them down together with parts of the plane. The airmen were then transferred to KIEL WAR CEMETERY. (FAF) They were buried in Collective grave 5. E. 13-19. (CWGC)

A shirt with data of one of the airmen made it possible to identify him and then the plane and the crew. (E.V.H. Jensen) It was stated in p370MACR that the identity of the plane was a puzzle till "in 1949 it was finally identified at crash site by the collar of Sgt. Sadler."

The plane came from south east heading for north west. It hit the ground the first time in the middle of the quarter circle Poppelvej and next time in Hvidtjørnen
before the crash indicated here. Engines fell 500 m north of the main crater shown with the arrow. (E.V.H. Jensen) See Google Map p370 Lancaster LM116. 

Flying Officer (Pilot) William Nixon, 23, was the son of William and Lily Nixon, of Darnall, Sheffield, United Kingdom. (Source: CWGC)
For home and all he did his best. God grant to him eternal rest
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 1, Panel 79. 

See Lancaster * Lancaster Photos * No. 103 Squadron RAF-Wikipedia * 103 Squadron Group Photo * 103 Squadron RAF History * 103 SQUADRON RAF
RAF ELSHAM WOLDS * RAF Elsham Wolds Association.  *   Duxford 2018 with LANCASTER. Operation 30 AUGUST 1944 - routes and losses.
Lancaster I LM116 PM-D took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 21:11 on 29 AUG 1944. (Source: p370MACR + Aircrew Remembered has this.
Notice 14 names, only LAN-names matter here.) See photos from Elsham Wolds August 2018 by Elisabeth Olsen. 7 airmen.