550 Squadron Photos

S/Ldr P A Nicholas DFC and Crew

S/Ldr P A Nicholas and crew were posted to 550 Squadron in January 1944:

A Flight Commander S/Ldr Peter A Nicholas and crew, October 1943
L-to-R: Sgt Legg (standing), S/L Nicholas (seated), P/O Dinney (standing), F/Sgt Brian Todd (standing)
Sgt Wilkinson (standing), Sgt Ansell (seated), Sgt Smart (seated)

The caption is slightly suspect. 550 Sqdn was only founded at the tail-end of November 1943, and the Nicholas crew joined in January 1944. It is possible the photo pre-dates the crew arriving at 550 Sqdn (or the caption is incorrect).

Back row L-to-R: Sgt Smart, S/L Nicholas, Sgt Ansell, P/O Dinney
Front row L-to-R: F/Sgt Brian Todd, Sgt Wilkinson, Sgt Legg

The S/Ldr Nicholas crew carried out their operational tour Jan-July 1944. During that same period S/Ldr Nicholas was Commanding Officer "A" Flight.

Before the end of the crew's tour F/Sgt B G Todd (W/Op) posted out to 18 OTU (27.5.44) for instructional duties on completion of his second operational tour. He was replaced byF/Sgt C J Fuller (W/Op).

If you look closely at the photographs you might recognise the W/Op, in later years, as Bob Todd the straight-man to Benny Hill (UK TV comedy star in 1960s-1980s).