George Jackson “Jack “Nichols was the son of and George A Nichols and Cora May Fonte. He married Leeta Ernestine Summitt in 1943.
Crew members
Pilot, 1st Lt Anthony D. Hartley
Co-Pilot, 1st Lt George J. Nichols
Navigator 2nd Lt Hugh H. Eaton Jr.
Assistant Crew Chief Sgt Claude O. Langlinais
Passenger: 1st Lt Henry E. Felix, Capt Sam D. Perry and 2nd Lt Leo W. Tiberghien
Aircarft B-25D-15, Serial number 41-30374, Nickname Available Jones, took off on a flight from Port Moresby via Garbutt Field bound for Brisbane. The regular crew chief, Sgt Archie Kachel was off duty and replaced by Sgt Claude O. Langlinais. The A/C disappeared on the first leg of the flight, it is unknown if this aircraft went missing over the Coral Sea or might have crashed on land. Searches failed to locate any trace of this aircraft.
The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery. After the loss, the 312th Bombardment Group softball field at Gusap Airfield, was named “Hartley-Nichols Field” in honor of the pilot and co-pilot.
He died 21 February 1944. He is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery, the Philippines.
389th Bomber Squadron, 312th Bomber Group, Light
For my mother’s 1st husband, George J. Nichols, KIA.
–Submitted by Dennis Denton
The Knoxville Journal, March 18, 1944
Lt. George J. Nichols, bomber pilot, is missing in the Pacific between New Guinea and Australia, the War Department notified his wife, the former Miss Ernestine Summitt of Lenoir City. Lt. Nichols, son of Mrs. Cora N. Nichols, 308 Market Street, was transporting soldiers ill with jungle fever when his plane was lost Feb. 25. Th emissing pilot has never seen his three-month-old son. Since going across in October, he has bombed Wewak and Admiralty Islands, and been in action in Kuma Valley. Lieutenant Nichols played football for E-T State College at Johnson City and was later employed at the ETW&C freight line. He volunteered for air service in September, 1941, after training as a civilian pilot.
- Rank: First Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 26 July 1917
- Date of death: 21 February 1944
- County: Loudon
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 389th Bomber Squadron, 312th Bomber Group, Light
- Theater: Pacific
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XV, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor George J. Nichols
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