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 358th Nicolaisen Crew
Arthur R. Nicolaisen, Pilot
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ARTHUR R. NICOLAISEN CREW - 358th BS
(crew assigned 358BS: 14 March 1945 - photo: 16 March 1945)



ARTHUR R. NICOLAISEN CREW - 358th BS
(crew assigned 358BS: 14 March 1945)

(Top L-R) Sgt Ted F. Wierzbicki (R), F/O Benjamin H. Wilson, Jr. (B)

(3rd Row L-R) Sgt Robert C. Straub (BTG),
Sgt George B. Novakovich (WG/TOG), F/O Rufus E. Wilson (N)

(2nd Row L-R) Sgt Robert L. Bentley (E), Sgt Robert J. Gray (TG), F/O Jack Silver (CP)

(Front) 2Lt Arthur R. Nicolaisen (P)


ARTHUR R. NICOLAISEN CREW - 358th BS
(crew assigned 358BS: 14 March 1945)

(Back L-R) Sgt Robert C. Straub (BTG), Sgt George B. Novakovich (WG/TOG),
Sgt Robert L. Bentley (E), Sgt Robert J. Gray (TG) Sgt Ted F. Wierzbicki (R),

(Front L-R) F/O Rufus E. Wilson (N) 2Lt Arthur R. Nicolaisen (P)
F/O Herbert Rush (CP) F/O Benjamin H. Wilson, Jr. (B)

MacDuff the dog

Fourteen credited 1945 combat missions flown by 2Lt Arthur R. Nicolaisen:

343 - 3/22 to Buer, Gr, 344 - 3/23 to Gladbeck, Gr, 348 - 3/30 to Bremen, Gr.
351 - 4/04 to Unterloss, Gr, 352 - 4/05 to Bayreuth, Gr, 353 - 4/06 to Leipzig, Gr,
354 - 4/07 to Hitzacker, Gr, 356(*) - 4/09 to Wolfratshausen, Gr,
357(*) - 4/10 to Orienburg, Gr, 358 - 4/11 to Frielham, Gr, 359 - 4/14 to Royan, Fr,
360 - 4/17 to Royan, Fr, 362 - 4/17 to Dresden, Gr, 363 - 4/10 to Treunbrietzenger, Gr
(*) Flew as Combat Orientation Pilot with the 2Lt Ernest P. Bailey Crew
Ten B-17Gs flown by 2Lt Arthur R. Nicolaisen on his fourteen credited missions:
  • 43-38191 Shasta (358BS) VK-A - Missions 343, 353
  • 44-6006 (No name) (358BS) VK-D - Mission 344
  • 42-97949 (No Name) (358BS) VK-O - Mission 348
  • 42-97546 Idaliza (360BS) PU-E - Mission 351
  • 44-6517 Old Cock (360BS) PU-G - Mission 352
  • 43-38258 Forget Me Not Olly (358BS) VK-H - Mission 354
  • 43-37590 Neva -The Silver Lady (358BS) VK-Q - Mission 356
  • 43-38778 (No name) (358BS) VK-C - Mission 357
  • 44-6523 (No name) (360BS) PU-A - Mission 358
  • 43-39450 (No name) (358BS) VK-P - Missions 359, 360, 362, 363
Crew Notes:
  • 2Lt Arthur R. Nicolaisen (P) - Mission 343 flown as CoPilot with a combat orientation Pilot 2Lt Everett H. Thornton. Other missions flown as First Pilot: Two missions as a combat orientation Pilot with members of the 2Lt Ernest A. Bailey Crew (356, 357); Other missions flown with his own crew.
  • F/O Jack Silver (CP) - Assigned to 358BS on 15 Feb 1945 as CoPilot on the 2Lt Loren W. Bohle Crew. Flew 6 missions with the 2Lt Nicolaisen Crew (353, 354, 359, 360, 362, 363). Stood down on missions 356 & 357. Flew 10 missions with other Pilots: Lead Crew Tail Gunner/Observer (4 missions - 338, 340, 347, 352); As CoPilot - With 2Lt Loren W. Bohle (2 missions - 327, 328), With 2Lt Rudolph L. Griffith (4 missions - 339, 348, 351, 355), With other Pilots ( 2 missions - 325, 346). See Lead Crew photos - missions 340 & 352. Substitute CoPilots used on seven 2Lt Nicolaisen Crew missions: F/O Herbert Rush (4 missions - 344, 348, 351, 352); 2Lt Ernest A. Bailey (2 missions - 356, 357); 2Lt Glen A. Tableman (1 mission - 358).
  • F/O Rufus E. Wilson (N) - Flew on ten missions with the 2Lt Nicolaisen Crew (343, 344, 348, 351, 352, 358, 359, 360, 362, 363) and one mission with another Pilot (350). Stood down on missions 356 and 357. Substitute Navigators used on four missions: Crew Bombardier, F/O Benjamin H. Wilson, Jr. (2 missions -353, 354); 2Lt Fred D. Dornblaser (2 missions - 356, 357).
  • F/O Benjamin H. Wilson (B) Flew on one mission as crew Bombardier (343) and two missions as crew Navigator (353, 354). Stood down on missions 356 and 357. Flew on seven missions as Bombardier with other Pilots (344, 350, 351, 355, 359, 363, 364). Substitute Toggliers used on thirteen missions: Sgt George B. Novakovich (WG) as Togglier (9 missions - 351, 352, 353, 354, 358, 359, 360, 362, 363); Other Toggliers (4 missions - 344, 348, 356, 357).
  • Sgt Robert L. Bentley (E), Sgt Robert C. Straub (BTG), Sgt Robert J. Gray (TG). Flew on twelve of the 2Lt Nicolaisen missions. Stood down on missions 356 and 357.
  • Sgt Ted F. Wierzbicki (R) - Flew on eleven of the 1Lt Nicolaisen missions (All except 344, 356, 357). Stood down on missions 356 and 357.
  • Sgt George B. Novakovich (WG/TOG) - Flew on two 2Lt Nicolaisen missions as Waist Gunner (343, 344) Crew was reduced from 9 to 8 men with elimination of the Waist Gunner position. Sgt Novakovich became the crew's Togglier and flew on 9 crew missions as Togglier (351, 352, 353, 354, 358, 359, 360, 362, 363). Stood down on missions 356 and 357.
  • Voice Interpreters (VI) - Flew with the 2Lt Nicolaisen crew on two missions (343 and 353).

[photo courtesy of Jack Silver]
[Researched by 303rdBGA Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]