5043202 Sgt N Nicoll RAF 97 Sqd (d.27th June 1942) While researching the family name I came across an entry for F/O A W
Friend of 97 Sqdn which took me to your 97 Sqdn site. F/O Friend's name
and those of his crew are missing from your list of squadron members.
The aircraft either crashed or was shot down in Norway as F/O Friend is
buried in Bergen cemetary.
The following was culled from 97 Sqdn associations website.
27th June 1942 *Ten aircraft detailed to attack Bremen. None of the aircraft
were able to identify target and all bombed on TR, results believed to
be good, although 10/10ths cloud. F/O Friend (Rhodesian) and crew failed
to return – no news received after take off.
F/O A.W.Friend, Sgt E.E.Hayward, F/S H.Shrybman, Sgts
N.Nicoll, S.J.Allen, P/O J.C.Weir, Sgt F.E.McKenzie. Missing
from this operation. Additional Information: | Their Lancaster was actually shot down near Alkmaar in the Netherlands and the dead are buried in Bergen cemetery, North Holland (not to be confused with Bergen-op-Zoom, also in the Netherlands, or Bergen in Norway. F/O Friend did indeed die, along with Sergeants Wei and McKenzie. The others, including my father, Norman Nicoll survived. My father was in POW camp in Silesia (now in Poland) and was liberated in 1945 after "the Great March" west. He died shortly before his 93rd birthday on in 2012. I don't know what happened to the other three survivors of the mission. Ann Hollis (Nicoll)
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