Valour In The Skies. The ONLY Battle of Britain Victoria Cross. James Brindley Nicolson VC DFC
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2023
- Witness the extraordinary bravery and valour of James Brindley Nicolson, the only Royal Air Force Fighter Command pilot to receive the Victoria Cross during the Battle of Britain.
Join us as we delve into the skies over the English south coast, where the epic Battle of Britain raged. In this gripping video, we explore the fateful day of August 16, 1940, when Nicolson, just a young pilot, climbed aboard his Hawker Hurricane and engaged in a desperate airborne struggle against wave after wave of German aircraft. Experience the tension and adrenaline as Nicolson intercepts yet another enemy onslaught approaching Southampton.
Discover how Nicolson's heroic actions transformed him from an ordinary member of 'The Few' into a legendary figure, forever etched in history.
This is the remarkable story of James Brindley Nicolson, VC, DFC, a true hero of the Battle of Britain.
Don't miss this incredible tale of courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds.
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I read an account in the book "Eagle day" about this pilot and the events leading up to his award of the VC,it goes on to say that his wife went to see him in hospital,his skin was coming off in folds,she asked him "my darling,what have you been doing?" He just casually said "I had an arguement with a German"
Yes, the wives had it bad too, always worrying but also being brave. In the book "I had a row with a German" written by "A casualty" as it was written in 1941 but was by Tom Gleave who was also badly burnt. His wife visited him in Hospital and said "My, my....have you been playing with matches again?!!". It must have been terrible to be burnt in an aircraft and become a "Guinea Pig" but also difficult for the wives seeing their young husbands in such a bad way.
Dave.
Why oh why are these brave young men not celebrated more. Every day we enjoy freedoms thanks to their bravery and sacrifice. Thank you.
Remarkable young men, one and all, to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude we can never repay. To all those brave souls, Rest in Eternal Peace.
my Brothers father Inlaw Grampa Woody lied about is age in the north greatlakes area of the USA, paid for his own pilots License, became an illegal immagrant to Canada, joined the RCAC for Military training, on acrosss the pond to fight With and For the RAF through the battle of britain through D Day with ALL the ALLIED Forces, AND the french.
HE HATED! Nights Fights and GROUND FIRED TRACERS! Just Hated TRACERS! he said "I Could See" just how close they came to getting me.
walked away from lots of battle damged eqipment, got a fragment in a foot as I recall.
A very detailed account. The Home Guard's 'friendly fire' would be laughable but for the fact that a young pilot died.
Poor form firing on a bailed out pilot regardless of side.
As a point of interest. Nicholson's Flying suit is housed & displayed at the RAF Tangmere Museum in West Sussex. It graphically shows the amount of fire damage. Well worth a trip to go & see.
Great story, tragic end for very brave guy. I love the Typhoon tribute! Thank you for brave and selfless service to your nation!
Thanks for the presentation. RIP James Brindley Nicolson VC DFC. Lest we forget.
RIP GREATEST! "I Love You! Miss YOU!" sorry We gave away your sacrafices', and service for free, not even a fight.
An Englishman of best courage and character. We will remember them.
Brave yes British yes will be remembered No look at the state of the UK now they simply dont care I was a air cadet in the 80s and been going to the nov memorial every year ever since and recently theres no one there in my home town the council moved the cenotaph to an out of the way place to make the park more sutibale for well I dont know but these men defended a country that no longer exists !
True hero! (as they all were) basically saying, I'm 'not worthy of the medal, I was just doing my job'. Lest we forget!.
Nice job N.H. Little lost this end, with 72 on Spits, Knowin a bit about J.B. Nicolson and he got shot town in a Hurri, on fire. Thanks for fillin in a lot more detail. J.B.Nicolsons of 247s been a bit of a hero, but so have others like Bader and Keith 'Bluey' Truscott. They were all heroes. Thanks bloke, keep up the good work, stay vertical Eh!
The RAF heroes known as the few will never ever be forgotten. The huge debt of gratitude we all owe them all to this very day is well enshrined at Duxford and Biggen hill. it's extraordinary to realise that many of the pilots had barely left school who faced terrible burns or death.
Don't forget Capel-Le-Ferne.
That's my great Uncle, one very proud niece right here.
...and so you should be. An incredible man. Thanks for the comment, I do love to hear from family members.
The world owes everything to the men and Women of Flt Lt Nicolson’s and my Father’s generation. They stood between us and the horror that Europe and Asia suffered. They must never be forgotten. Per Ardua Ad Astra.
Truly a great geration but achingly sad.
Thank you for your very comprehensive story of my Uncle Nic. Regards.
My pleasure. Thanks for leaving a comment. I do love to hear from family members and descendants of the amazing people I feature in my videos.
Sir thank you for this. I knew of this pilot and his V.C. but not of his history. My respect for him and his fellow companions in WWII are greatly enhanced by your effort. Thank you for your illumination and information.
You're welcome Stephen. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
A well researched video. Thank you.
Brave man
Indeed he was.
A very detailed, account of the then Flight Lieutenant Nicholsons brave act winning him the Victoria Cross. As you recount he felt many others during the battle had done as much as he had "Only doing my duty". It's very odd that he was the only fighter command pilot to be awarded the VC, and there must have been some "Policy" in the Air Ministry during WW2 against putting forward the award, for there must have been a good few brave Fighter Command pilots who were recommended by their commanding officers for the VC who would only get the lower order of awards like the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross
The Officers flying club hated the lower classes flying, that's why there are no non-commissioned airmen flying or navigating presently in the air farce! The Army are not as class orientated!
Not really, the Army just made sure the top jobs only got given to the upper class.
@@paulhicks6667 Good education to fly? Sargeants fly in the Army! The RAF has a two class system!
Fascinating and excellently presented !
Great Video thanks. 👍👍
Well done. Thank you very much
Excellent presentation, Lest We Forget
As always, well researched & well narrated.
Champion! 👍😉
Much appreciated!
Thank you. I read about Nicholson VC DFC in Wings magazine in the late 1970s. You refreshed my memory and I subscribed.
I used to collect that weekly partwork as well... fantastic articles, and a study of a model aircraft on the back page each week.... Loved it.
So glad these heroic pilots were on our side.God bless all who served.
A very good account of a true hero.
Excellently researched and presented video, thank you for this tribute to a remarkable, but in many ways typical pilot during the Battle of Britain. I was fortunate to be able to discuss the BoB with one of the “Few” a serving Fleet Air Arm pilot who fought in it. Quite why he was the only VC is a mystery, generally the battle for which it is awarded,has to be witnessed, but his section pilots had already departed before he was attacked and set on fire. IMO very many of those pilots deserved the VC, their courage, fortitude and skill overcame vast numbers of equally determined young men. The British (and other nations) pilots were fortunate to be over “home” territory which gave them much greater endurance, all we can say is “Thank you”/for their service. Those same thanks must be extended to all those who served and those who serve in HM Forces to the current day. Thank you.
i remember reading about him in a book very nice of you to highlight him
Excellent story, fine video, OUTSTANDING, exemplary courage by J.B. Nicolson.
Many thanks!
Pilot seen @ 05:28 looks for all the world to me, to be none other than 249's "Tom Neil"
Love that guy & I bought his book "Gun Button To Fire" back around 1991 - (I spent a lot of time @ North Weald)
Not only did Hobbymaster do "his" Hurricane (GN-F ?) in 1/48th pre-painted diecast....
But also Tom used to regularly appear "on Televison" every time a 1940 documentary came up
Always was a truly lovely chap
Yes I thought that was Tom Neil, I also have his book "Gun Button to Fire". His book & all the documentaries I've seen him in with all those brave pilots recounting what they went through is just fascinating bless them all. x
Yes, I recognised Tom Neil. I have all his books. Also 249s George Barclay has a good book out. I have Nicholson VC but haven't yet read it. "Fly for your life" about Stanford Tuck is great also. "First light" is good too. So many of these brave men died so young. In Tom Neil's own words "The best that Britain could produce was lost".
Dave.
Great videos enjoying them very much. The length is just right.
Thanks 👍
Massive determination and balls.
Thank you. A very interesting account which has inspired me to plan a visit to the memorial in Singapore.
An inspiring story. Thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A wonderful and thoughtful presentation.
A beautiful remembrance of a time when heroism seemed startlingly commonplace.
A nice piece of work indeed. Subscribed!
Many thanks!
Your narration does Nicholson VC, and all those who served, due homage. Well done
Thank you very much
Thank you.
You're welcome!
How many airman descending by parachute would be shot at and in many cases, wounded or killed by the Home guard. By what right under the Geneva Convention could these actions be condoned by the War Office ?
Well there you go. so much cobblers spouted these days about heroes. well, these lads were true heroes to the definition of the word. My father served in 603 City of Edinburgh Squadron and he witnessed first hand, the terrifying bravery they displayed battling a determined aggressor. Those of us of a certain age will always remember them and their selfless dedication in defending our homeland. Good on yer boys.
These are excellent and informative videos. I deeply appreciate how clearly and succinctly these compelling stories are told. Well done!
Thank you so much.
I was lucky enough to metal detect the crash site of his plane, and whilst the majority of the wreckage was taken away shortly after the crash, we found many pieces of aluminium skin, bullets and cases that had cooked off. We also found 3/4 of the brass fire button surround with FIRE and SAFE :) The location is in Broadlands, nr Romsey.
Awesome story..I loved it very much. Very sad ending for a very brave man.
Thanks for watching
The display at the Aviation Museum of Tangmere , of shirt, shoe and yellow painted mae west (rare to see an original yellow painted one surviving) worn at the moment he was shot up and burned has to be one of the most incredible artefacts from the Battle of Britain, such items that belong to actual Pilots hold an indescribable feeling of being priveledged to see such, but from that famous moment, incredible. There were other BoB aircrew as well as rest of the war also well deserving of the VC but never awarded.
My father being a schoolboy at the time,witnessed the fast descent of the other pilot with his damaged parachute, and also either Nicholsons or the others pilots Hurricane,coming down in a long slow dive,which crashed in the area of Lee which is between Southampton and Romsey.
Got to subscribe t'yay, marra. It's very rare to hear w'or accent on a documentary.. they're excellent n'aall
He also flew mk1 spitfire k9942 which is at either hendon or cosford museum
Wonderful detailed account
Great documentary. What a brave dedicated young man. A fine example. Thankyou for your sacriface.
Gahh bomber crew had it SO much harder and in a bomber he passed on, very sad! 😔😢
But also, what is with the Home-Guard shooting at flyers (even if they thought theyre Germans) descending in parachutes!? If they were German, they arent gonna be back in the war! Shooting that them was very bad form!!
Shot in the butt for your efforts! Honestly!
I was at Church Fenton 83 to 87, awesome place. I also trained at RAF Halton. So great hearing these places mentioned.
Not sure why he got the VC, generally you have to single handedly turn the course of a battle. While definitely brave and determined, he was just like thousands of other service men of the time.
I think over the course of the war it did become even harder to win the VC. If you haven't already, I recommend watching the Jeremy Clarkson video on the VC. You'll find it on CZcams.
First of all, for any award like this, it has to be witnessed, written up properly by someone that doesn't hate you, and then kicked topside through a compliant clerk or secretary who knows the best time to present the report to the commanding authority.
I know one guy that didn't think he should recieve any award whatsoever (failed mission), was first threatened with courts-martial, awarded a Silver Star that he said he didn't deserve or want, but ordered to get in his dress uniform, shut up and accept it.
Same soldier, later awarded a Bronze Star, but he believes to this day, that he should have been awarded the same Silver Star, for which he states, he should not have gotten the first time round.
And he went to the right school
Salute to the heroic flight lieutenant,an all the hero's of the greatest generation 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇫🇷🇱🇺
We will continue to remember and try to live up to their example.
My God, men like these. Most definitely - The Greatest Generation.
Wow! What a guy. The RAF treated me with respect. They had an excellent dynamic - hard work, hard play. CAVU skies to all aviators.
Respect
The only Fighter Command VC of the entire War. 20 odd awarded to Bomber Command crew. His combat was with 110s not 109s as stated.
God Bless Them All. 🇬🇧
Great story of James Nicholson the world’s only VC during the Battle of Britain. Please do the story of the last dogfight of ww2 over Japan.
I happened across a memorial to him the other week when I was visiting MOD Boscombe Down, formerly RAF Boscombe Down. Next time I am there I will take. Picture and post it.
The RAF names their Barrack Blocks after many of their most heroic Airmen. I lived in Nicholson Block at RAF Honnington during the late 1980s, so it was very interesting to watch this well told account of this brave pilot's life and unfortunate death. Thank you so much for remembering him on your channel.
Their VC10s were named after them too. "James Nicholson VC" was XV 107, I flew in it a couple of times in the 1970s.
@jimspackman8527 very true, I spent many hours repairing them in twin peaks at Saints, crawling thru the wings etc
I spent a couple of months during my recruit training at RAF Swinderby in the 1980s in "Reid block", named after Flight Lieutenant William Reid VC, who piloted a badly damaged Lancaster bomber back from Germany despite being seriously wounded and with dead crew members aboard. Can't believe we will ever see their like again.
I like your narration of events and I just subscribed. That being said, please note that at 11:04 and 11:35, you mention a Me Bf109 as being shot down, but the painter of those illustrations depicted a Bf 110. Yeah I know, nitpicking that doesn’t detract from the heroic of the action, it just detracts from the validity of its reporting.
It is not widely known that the 1939-45 Star was previously named the 1939-43 Star. In the picture at 15:11 the two RAF officers can be seen wearing the ribbon before the end of the war, which unfortunately Nicholson did not live to see.
20, a pilot, flying a spitfire and engaging the Bosch over the channel. These days they have to be given a "trigger warning" before reading a book by Mary Shelley.
Nice to desert you back, marra.
I guess it’s difficult for fighter crabs to get gongs as they’re often on their own and if they are killed - as most vac tend to be - then there’s no one to report the feat.
There are many WWII memorials in Singapore. From the picture you showed at 17:34 , that looks like the Kranji War Memorial, near the current location of the Turf Club, in case someone wants to visit and find the burial of J. Brindley.
Only ONE VC for Churchill’s “Few”? I had no idea. Figured there were probably a dozen. Wonder why there weren’t more? We’d be speaking German if it wasn’t for those 2,000 brave men.
Too modest RAF aces to even bring half of what they saw back down to earth
I often think of those pilots who went up in old-fashioned planes, knowing they had little chance. To me, they were the bravest. They do say an Avro Anson shot down the first German plane, though.
Respekt.
Nice video as always NH. Thanks for paying respect to this warrior, may he rest in peace. I do believe he was played by ? Michael Caine if memory serves me right, in the 1969 movie 'The Battle of Britain' where his fiery ordeal was recreated. Tribute too, to the medical and nursing staff who looked after him. A shout out to Dr Archie Mc Indoe, who pioneered skin grafting in WW2, I think initially on pilots early in the war. Burns are really painful, bad injuries....really.
Thanks Ron. I enjoyed learning about this young man during my research
@@TheNorthernHistorian Good on you for concentrating on Raafies in your video topics ( being ex-RAF yourself as I recall from an earlier exchange here) ....one tends to get too focused on one's own service ( I'm serving Army) and I'm guilty of this. Its excellent to find out about heroes from our comrade services. Nicolson was young but at 23 years in 1940 he was already quite experienced and relatively 'old'. I think your video speaks to the 18 year old Pilot Officer who died-eighteen! A sign of the way conflict -and necessity and attrition-speeds up the process. I served alongside some of the finest 18 year olds in my country in Afghan: I always think about them when I hear 18 year olds copping criticism. Thanks again for the video!
I remember the burning pilot scene in the picture "Battle Of Britain": the pilot was played by Christopher Plummer.
@@None-zc5vg MANY pilots of BOTH sides were horribly burned during the battle (and the rest of the war too).
@@None-zc5vgYes and his wife was played by Susannah York. I remember Kenneth More saying to her "He's not dead Maggie" and she says "Is he badly burnt?" She just knew that he had been burn without being told. A great film!!
Dave.
It is extraordinary that others didn't receive the VC (or even lesser awards for bravery), Richard Hilary, Bill Foxley, Geoffrey Page, Maurice Mounsdon, Billy Fiske to mention just a few including members of the Guinea Pig Club who were treated for crippling burns at East Grinstead Hospital by Sir Archibold McIndoe and his team.
Many of the pilots treated by McIndoe and his team return to the front line and all too many didn't survive the war.
As dog fights are bloody hectic and often out of sight of other military serviceman , there just weren't the witnesses to the many times a VC would have been awarded for bravery beyond the call of duty etc.
That is why just one VC was awarded....
Just how many were earned and given must be many indeed.
I'm pretty sure that the scene from "the Battle of Britain" where Christopher Plumber's character (Squadron Leader Colin Harvey) has a flash fire in his cockpit was inspired by his story...😮
Worth reading Gun Button To Fire by Tom Neil who served alongside Nicholson in 249 squadron who writes in detail about these events .
Thanks for the recommendation Jerry. I'll look it up.
Agree, i have that book highly recommended x
@TheNorthernHistorian There are a few good books about 249s George Barclay too. "Angels 22" is one. So many great books out there about the Battle of Britain pilots.
Dave.
I'm shocked to learn this was the only Fighter Command VC.
This was covered in Soto Cinematics. The first I heard of this story was from Matchbox’s “Badges of Courage”.
He was my great great uncle!
More details of his last flight can be found in a video about the crash and the two survivors by searching CZcams for Eric Kightley, James Nicolson, 355 squadron, Salbani. Incidentally, the photo shown here of his Liberator is a generic 356 squadron aircraft (white cross on the tail). 355 Libs had white stripes. Eric is (was) my father.
Sincerest respects to his memory.
Replacing Spitfires with Hurricanes? Very strange for it was usually the other way round.
There is also a road named after him in Shoreham by Sea Near Ricardo Engineering
What this narrative doesn't tell you is that a butchers boy on his bike saw everything, including the Home guard man with shotgun shooting Nicholson. The butchers boy gave the Home guard bloke a good pasting to such an extent that the ambulance took the home guard guy to hospital, leaving Nicholson who they didn't see. Nicholson went to hospital in the back of the Butchers wagon!! This was in a section of the book Nicholson VC that I read. I still haven't read the whole book yet as at the time I had many other fighter pilot books to read first.
Dave.
Do you have Patreon? I won't do Paypal, but would like to support you.
You tell available facts very well.
My brother died in 2003, who remembers him? I do he was a super human being but that's the fate of all of us, we are really nothing
Local schools next to where i live on the former RAF Skellingthorpe bear the names Lancaster and the other Leslie Manser. Two members of the aircrew based at RAF Skellingthorpe held the VC one beenFLt LT Leslie Manser and the other FLT Will RIED. Leslie Manser won his VC whilst flying from RAF Skellingthorpe. as a mark of respect in would be nice to see the Schools name amended to FLT LT Leslie Manser VC and in the case of Flt LT Will Ried VC he is not remembered except on an information board on what is now Birchwood Nature Park. With significant new inferstructure projects going on and around Lincoln it would be a fantastic act of rememberance if the roads and bridges and Schools etc could be named after the RAF's VC winners.
I spent a couple of months during my recruit training at RAF Swinderby in the 1980s in "Reid block", named after Flight Lieutenant William Reid VC, who piloted a badly damaged Lancaster bomber back from Germany despite being seriously wounded and with dead crew members aboard. Can't believe we will ever see their like again.
poor lad , shot up twice by the home guard!
Whilst Nicolson was in Burma he met Ginger Lacy who was the squadron leader of 17 squadron flying spitfires.
I can't imagine deliberately settling back into a burning cockpit. Perhaps he thought bailing out was just as dangerous so figured he may as well try to kill one more enemy before his own demise.
Don't forget the magnificent young Polish pilots, who had the greatest impact on the battle of Britain than any other group. Fearless to the end
Yes 58.5 aircraft downed out of 1900 Luftwaffe losses, and of those 58.5 confirmed kills
303 Sqd Squadron commander, Sqd Ldr Ronald Gustave Kellett (British) - 5 confirmed kills
303 Sqd "A" Flight commander, Fl Lt John Alexander Kent (Canadian) - 6 confirmed kills
303 Sdn "B" Flight commander, Fl Lt Athol Stanhope Forbes (British) - 7 confirmed kills.
And certainly not forgetting
Sgt pilot Josef František (Czechoslovakian) - 17 confirmed Kills.
"greatest impact of any group".... Nonsense.
Yep! 303!! I remember Pete Brothers (32 squadron etc;) telling a story about shooting down an enemy aircraft and Polish pilots were asking him "Did they burn?!!!". The Poles naturally fought with a lot of hatred and wanted revenge for the invasion of their country. Pete Brothers also said about the air fighting that "We were pretty serious, but we were really shooting at aircraft and the fact that there was a man inside it was just an afterthought. We were there to shoot down aircraft, the Poles were there to kill men!!"
Dave.
hard to believe how many "relocations" they did
James Nicholson's Wife Muriel died in 2005 aged 100. So she was a fair bit older than her husband.
Lest we forget 🇬🇧🇦🇺
Sharta (check the name, please, not sure of the spelling) Airport in Comilla, Bangladesh. I visited the place in 1963.
Sad ending.
So close. So sad.
What a terrible shame. He should have been flying a desk by that stage of the war.
Are there any happily ever afters in these videos?
Imagine the German pilot seeing the flaming Hurricane behind him. "Ah, Die English is kaputt!...Vas ist dos?!? Gott in Himmel, Ich bin tot!"
Harry Ricardo was an engineering consultant. He was not an engine manufacturer. He was good but even he failed to notice that RR Merlin’s were catastrophically failng because the oil pump was too small.
It was said in a newspaper article that the crash of Mosquito RR299 in the '90s was caused by the loss of power in one of the Merlin engines, resulting from a design flaw in the carburettor that hadn't been detected some 50 years earlier.
The flaw was well understood and partly corrected by Miss Shillings orifice. I’m afraid it was the manoeuvre at Barton that caused the trouble.
@@jongulliver984It was a consequence of a setup jig used for carburettor adjustment being incorrectly calibrated, if memory serves this was due to either a missing document or misinterpretation of an old RR document.
What was up with thr Home Guard shooting at noncombatants?!
They were anxious to be seen "doing something"
Trigger happy. Just as always, not everybody is a bright light. Sucked for Nicholson and his Mate. Even happened to the Japs, beat up by their own. Had to wear big red meatballs on their flying suits.
A hasty and rudimentary training of a civilian militia who had been fired up during the period to be alert to the danger of enemy parachutists. Regretable but also understandable in the circumstnaces.
SO many clueless armchair generals in comments who know everything about nothing.
Their homes, wives and children were being bombed.
Tends to anger a man it seems.
As soon as I found he was the typical public school RAF boy I buggered orf
Lol mate. As a working class boy, I know where you are coming from. I know the public school system promotes false superiority of a certain alleged class above others of the general public but if certain individuals are worthy of moral mention, they should be accorded that, no matter of their upbringing. I shall revert to cricket. A certain player by the name of PBH May was public school educated, he was a cultured classic bat. Nothing can ever diminish that fact.