50th Anniversary of the United States Air Force Fighter cover signed by Air Marshal Sir John Nicholls KCB CBE DFC AFC - who flew in the Korean War and scored two victories JS(CC)32 cover produced for the 50th Anniversary of USAF and features aircraft flown by the American Air Force 1947-1997 including the P-80, F-86 Sabre, F-4 Phantom, F-16 and Stealth Fighter and bears US 32c stamp showing the USAF F-16 Display Team cancelled on the First Day of Issue with Washington DC killer bar postmark.
The cover is signed by Air Marshal Sir John Nicholls KCB CBE DFC AFC CIMgt DFC(USA) and Air Medal(USA) who flew F-86 Sabres during the Korean war with the 335th USAF Fighter Squadron and suceeded in shooting down two MIGs for which he was awarded the British and American DFC. He later flew F-100, F-101, F-102 and F-104 aircraft with US squadrons. In 1959 he was the RAF project test pilot on Lightnings.
Numbered and certified on the reverse.
DFC(USA) and Air Medal(USA)
John Nicholls joined the RAF and served with No 28 Squadron and No 257 Squadrons, before joining the USAF as an exchange officer in 1952 as a Flight Lieutenant. He flew with the 335th Fighter Squadron USAF, during the Korean War flying F-86 Sabres and succeeded in shooting down 2 MiGs. He was awarded the DFC for distinguished service in 1953 and also received the DFC (USA) and Air Medal (USA) the same year.
In 1956 as part of USAF-RAF Exchange scheme Nicholls joined the Fighter Leader School, and later served with the 435th and 83rd Fighter Squadrons USAF. He flew with the first F-104 squadron and also flew F-100, F-101 and F-102 jet aircraft.
From 1959 to 1961 Nicholls was attached to the British Aircraft Company as the RAF project test pilot for the trials of the Lightning. In 1962 he was the Commander of the Air Fighting Development Squadron based at RAF Binbrook, where the Spitfire vs Lightning trials were flown in 1963. Nicholls attended the Joint Services Staff College in 1964 and was then posted to the Ministry of Defence in 1965. In the same year he received his AFC.
He was the Station Commander, RAF Leuchars from 1967 to 1970 and then attended the Imperial Defence College. He was awarded a CBE in 1970 and in 1971 became the Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ 11 Group and later the same year become the Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff. In 1973 he was made the Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ Strike Command, and in 1976 was made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements) during which time he had the chance to fly a F-15 at Macdonell AFB.
In 1977 he became the Air Member for Supply and Organisation, and received the KCB in 1978. His final staff position was that of Vice-Chief of the Air Staff from 1979 to 1980 before retiring to work for the British Aircraft Company (British Aerospace), Saudi Arabia as a director returning to the UK in 1982.
Telegraph Obituary
Air Marshal Sir John Nicholls, who died on May 17 aged 80, was one of the RAF's foremost post-war day fighter pilots; he distinguished himself in combat over Korea and went on to play a pivotal role in the introduction into RAF service of the Lightning interceptor fighter.
During the Korean War a number of the RAF's most experienced fighter pilots were assigned to USAF and RAAF squadrons to fly operations in the conflict. Nicholls had already established an excellent reputation when he was selected to go to the United States in April 1952 to convert to the F-86 Sabre before joining a USAF squadron in Korea. He was assigned to the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron operating from Kimpo airfield near Seoul and over the next six months he completed 100 operations.
The Korean War saw the first jet-versus-jet aerial combat with the outstanding Sabre pitted against the Russian-built MiG 15s. The Sabres provided escorts for bomber formations and photographic reconnaissance sorties but it was the fighter sweeps to an area deep inside North Korean territory south of the Yalu River, known as "MiG Alley", that saw the fiercest aerial fighting.
Nicholls flew his first sortie on June 28 1952 and, flying seven days a week, soon built up his experience. Two months later he was credited with damaging two MiGs on one sortie. He set one on fire before it disappeared into cloud and the second was last seen pouring out smoke as it escaped north across the Yalu River, an area Allied pilots were forbidden to fly over.
On his 99th and penultimate operation, he flew as wingman to the Wing leader when they intercepted four MiGs just south of the Yalu. Nicholls dived on one and after a prolonged chase he fired his cannons and scored hits on the enemy fighter, which broke up and crashed. It was the first MiG to be shot down by an RAF pilot.
He flew his final sortie on December 9 and shortly afterwards was awarded a DFC to add to an American DFC and Air Medal.
John Moreton Nicholls was born on July 5 1926 at Moreton, Cheshire, and educated at Liverpool Collegiate and St Edmund Hall, Oxford. Having served in the Air Training Corps he volunteered to be a pilot in the RAF just after his 17th birthday but was not called up until June 1945.
After training as a pilot, Nicholls was posted to No 28 Squadron flying Spitfires in the fighter-reconnaissance role in Singapore and Malaya. Returning to England in September 1949 he converted to Meteor jet fighters and joined No 257 Squadron where he became the pilot attack instructor. After a period at the Central Fighter Establishment he left for Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to convert to the Sabre.
On his return to the RAF, Nicholls continued his career as a fighter pilot flying Meteors and Hunters before becoming a tactics instructor at the prestigious Day Fighter Leader's School. In May 1958 he returned to the United States to fly with a USAF squadron.
In June 1959 Nicholls was seconded to the English Electric Company as the Fighter Command Liaison Officer to join the company's test flying programme for the supersonic Lightning. This had the advantage of giving the RAF an early insight into the capabilities of the new fighter whilst providing expert inputs and advice on operational aspects to the design team. The Lightning was a complex aircraft for its day capable of flying at twice the speed of sound.
Nicholls flew many test flights and his detailed knowledge was invaluable during the weapon system development phase. On one occasion, he had just completed a gun-firing trial and was descending from high level when the canopy jettisoned and damaged the aircraft's fin, but he was able to land safely.
After three years with English Electric Nicholls was posted in April 1962 to command the Air Fighting Development Squadron (AFDS) at West Raynham in Norfolk. The squadron had recently received its first Lightnings and Nicholls was the ideal pilot to supervise the weapons development and missile firing trials. The squadron moved to Binbrook near Grimsby and started evaluating techniques for intercepting high-flying aircraft when the USAF U-2 spy planes were sometimes used as "targets".
In 1963 Nicholls instigated an interesting trial when he flew a Spitfire against the supersonic Lightning in mock combat. At the time Commonwealth forces were involved in action against Indonesia and Nicholls decided to identify tactics to fight the Indonesian Air Force P-51 Mustang, a fighter that had a similar performance to the Spitfire XIX.
After a series of flights, he decided that a high performance jet fighter should attack from below in a climb, thus avoiding the risk of becoming involved in a turning fight at slower speed where the manoeuvrable piston-engine aircraft had the advantage.
For his work at AFDS, Nicholls was awarded the AFC.
After a period in the Ministry of Defence, Nicholls was promoted to group captain and took command of RAF Leuchars in Fife, the home of two Lightning squadrons and a Javelin night fighter unit. He attended the Imperial Defence College and then became the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at HQ 11 (Fighter) Group as the potent Phantom started to enter service.
For two years Nicholls was the Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Hill-Norton, and on promotion to air vice-marshal he moved to HQ Strike Command as the SASO.
He returned to the MoD in 1976 as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Operational Requirements at a time when the modernisation of the UK's air defence early warning radar and control and reporting systems were being radically modernised. It was also a time when the requirements for the two versions of the Tornado (ground attack and fighter) were being finalised.
On promotion to air marshal, Nicholls was appointed to the Air Force Board as the Air Member for Supply and Organisation and 18 months later he became Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
After leaving the RAF in 1980 he spent two years working for British Aerospace on the support package to the Royal Saudi Air Force and the major procurement deal for the Tornado. In 1982 he was diagnosed with a serious illness and was invalided home.
With a charismatic presence, handsome features, and an excellent combat record, Nicholls fully justified the description given to him by his fellow pilots: "the golden boy amongst fighter pilots".
He was a very astute and articulate staff officer who demanded exacting standards but was very approachable, making a regular practice of dropping in on his junior staff to discuss issues and seek their opinions. He also greatly enjoyed the off-duty aspects of RAF life and his presence was much in demand at social functions.
John Nicholls was appointed CBE (1967) and KCB (1978)
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