Peter Nixey was born in
1920. He was the son of Frederick Henry and
Marjorie Nixey. He attended Spring Grove Grammar
School, Isleworth, middlesex. Later, Peter got
married to Margaret. They lived in Farningham,
Kent.
Peter was a tall man,
measuring 6 feet, 4 inches. He joined the Royal
Air Force before the war as a career soldier.
His promotions followed the ordinary career path:
9 december 1939 promoted to
P/O (on probation)
1 may 1940 promoted to P/O (confirmed)
9 december 1940 promoted to F/O
9 december 1941 promoted to F/L
214 Squadron
After flying many missions
and up for a routine transfer, Peter Nixey
choose to stay with 214 Squadron. 214 was
converting to the Stirling bomber and Peter was
being promoted and became a Flight Commander.
On 8 May 1942 Peter was
awarded the DSO for bringing his flak-damaged
Wellington back from Essen on 12 April 1942.
With extensive damage to the starboard engine,
mainplane, ailerons, bomb-doors and tailplane
and with his navigator (P/O Lloyd) mortally
wounded, one gunner injured, and himself
suffering shell splinter wounds to his right
arm, Flt/Lt Nixey successfully navigated his
aircraft back to base to carry out a wheels-up
landing - a truly remarkable piece of airmanship.
His subsequent award of the
DSO reads:
"Distinguished Service
Order.
Flight Lieutenant Peter NIXEY (42257), No. 214
Squadron.
One night in April, 1942, this officer was the
captain of an aircraft detailed to attack a
target in the Ruhr. During the operation his
aircraft was subjected to heavy anti-aircraft
fire whilst held in the glare of numerous
searchlights. The starboard engine, the
mainplane and aileron, the bomb doors and the
tail plane were damaged. The navigator
was dangerously wounded in the abdomen and thigh,
the front gunner was injured about the eye and
Flight Lieutenant Nixey himself was hit in the
right arm by a shell-splinter. In the face of
harassing circumstances;, although deprived of
the assistance of his navigator, Flight
Lieutenant Nixey coolly and skilfully flew the
damaged aircraft back to this country where he
made a safe landing with the undercarriage
retracted. This officer has completed numerous
sorties and he has always displayed outstanding
courage, leadership and skill."
Peter was a most popular
officer especially with the groundcrews, playing
countless games of shove-halfpenny with them in
their remote dispersal huts. John Hoskins, an
engine-fitter recalls many enjoyable air tests
made with Peter.
On 20 June 1942 Peter
elected to fly a sortie to Emden with Canadian
F/O Mitchell. His crew this evening
consisted of:
S/L Peter Nixey DSO, Pilot,
F/O R Mitchell,
co-pilot
F/O C D Noble DFC,
Sgt Douglas Archer Melville, Wireless
Operator / Air Gunner,
Sgt Wilfred Ernest Pearson, Flight Engineer
WO L R Burgin,
Sgt Arthur Buckley, Air Gunner,
Sgt J H Bailey,
Peter and his crew took off
in Stirling Mark I N3762 BU-C from Stradishall (Suffolk).
What happend after is not known but BU-C was
shot down by a night fighter over Holland. It
crashed near De Driehoek, 5km NorthEeast of
Ommen, Holland. Four crew members, Nixey,
Melville, Pearson and Buckley died. The four
other crew members were taken POW.
The operation consisted of
185 aircraft of which 8 were lost. Only part of
the bomber force identified the target. Emden
reported about 100 houses damaged and 1 person
injured.
131 crews claimed to have bombed Emden. Bombing
photographs showed that part of the flare force
started a raid on Osnabrück, 80 miles from Emden,
in which 29 aircraft eventually joined. Emden
recorded only 5 high-explosive bombs and 200-300
incendiaries with no damage or casualties.
F/O Noble was later awarded the MBE for "escaping
activities":
"On 10 June 1943 26 airmen
made their escape. The timing had to be perfect,
the planning meticulous , to get so many men
through the camp gates in broad daylight. The
two 'bogus' guards played their part so well
that the real guards allowed the 'shower party'
through to the showers which were located
outside the camp. No sooner where they out of
sight then they melted into the pine trees.
A minute later 24 prisoners transformed into
workmen and commercial travellers, vanishing
quickly, leaving only a pile of discarded
clothes. Unfortunately the escape was discovered
within half an hour. Most of the 'kriegies',
including Flying Officer C D Noble DFC RCAF (whose
third attempt at escape this was) were rounded
up the following day at, or near, Sagan railway
station. Four men managed to stay clear of
recapture.
Noble's two earlier escape attempts involved,
first, hiding in the garbage wagon and the next
in a truck loaded with tree branches."
S/L Peter Nixey is buried at Ommen General
Cemetery, grave 7.
Ommen, The Netherlands
See also: Sgt Douglas Archer Melville
Sgt Wilfred Ernest Pearson
Sgt Arthur Buckley
