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In researching "forgotten heroes" for a neighboring community, I joined the the VI Corps Combat Engineers site and enlisted Marion's assistance in further identifying 2nd Lt. Robert B. Nicol and the circumstances surrounding his death in combat in Italy in early 1944. Faster than tech-savvy "Garcia" of "Criminal Minds" could ever do, Marion confirmed that 2nd Lt. Nicol was the same serviceman I was researching and she also provided me with details surrounding his demise at Nettuno. Thank you, Marion, for a quick and thorough response.

Still looking for photos of Lt. Nicol, so if members can point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to provide the mayor of Stewart Manor, NY with as much data about this combat engineer so that he may be honored during next year's Memorial Day service.

Thank you very much Joe. It was a pleasure working with you and conducting the research. What made it even more fun and beneficial for me, is that Lt Nicol was a member of my dad's unit, the 540th.

I am including all the information which I discovered. Here's our exchange of information regarding this soldier:

 

Hi Marion:

 

I am a retiree and I am involved in research on a volunteer basis. This all started in 2011 when the Mayor of my small hamlet (Bellerose Village, NY is a tiny community in New York's Nassau County, just over the NYC line) needed help in researching 9 Bellerose Village residents whose names were etched on a stone memorial outside our Village Hall. The end result was very successful in that 8x10 military photos of all those named were obtained through family members, and in two cases, the internet. Sufficient biographical information was also gathered through relatives and the internet. And this year I uncovered a 10th person who lost his life in combat but whose name, for unclear reasons, was not included with the rest. That will soon change.

 

Over the past two months, I've been researching my neighboring community, the Village of Stewart Manor. I've already uncovered one WW II naval officer who lived in that community but who isn't honored each Memorial Day (Stewart Manor honors only one individual who was killed during the Korean War). A full report with his military photo was turned over to the Stewart Manor mayor, and the feedback has been very positive. But it appears that my work is still not done because just the other day, I learned that 2nd Lt. Robert Baillie Nicol lost his life in combat in Italy on February 4th or 5th, 1944. Lt. Nicol's address of record was the home of his brother, William, at 78 Bromleigh Road in Stewart Manor, NY. Commissioned out of Ft. Belvoir in 1943, Lt. Nicol was, at some point, attached to 540th Engineers, Combat Division.

 

Any assistance or advice you may be able to provide me on Lt. Nicol would be greatly appreciated. Photos of a Lt. Robert Nicol as a non-USAAF prop plane pilot/forward observer pop up on the web though I can't be certain my Lt. Nicol and that one featured are one and the same.

 

Marion, thank you in advance for your help.

 

Joe

 

 

 

Good morning Joe:

 

Pleased to make your acquaintance. I just approved your membership to the forum. Please take a moment to post the above info there too, for you never know who may see it.

 

Let me do some research into the records I possess. Can't promise anything, but will try my best. When you say he was ATTACHED to the 540th, how exactly was that determined (and worded). It just seems unusual, for the 540th was a "bastard" unit, meaning they were free-floating and not part of a division. They themselves were usually the ones who were attached to regiments and battalions, and not the other way around.

 

Look forward to talking with you shortly, Marion

Okay, super-sleuth at your disposal. Just started, but determined there are at least two or three Roberts and no, the one you mentioned as a forward observer, would not be one and the same and the soldier who was KIA on Feb 4 or 5, 1944.

 

Robert L Nicol, served with the 71st AFA Bn, and they were part of the 5th Armored Division. Said division never served in Italy, but were part of the Normandy Invasion and were only present in France and Germany.

 

Stay tuned for more info...

Okay more info. Here's the lowdown so far...

 

The Robert who served with the 540th was a 2nd Lt and his full name was Robert B Nicol and he hailed from Connecticut. This soldier died on Feb 6, 1944 and is buried in Nettuno, Italy. His service # was O-1111269.

 

But wait, the site you probably referred to has this same Robert listed as QUEENS County in New York.

http://dmna.ny.gov/h...HonorList_N.htm

However, the National Grave Registry has Connecticut as home. Some further research is needed...

 

 

Robert L Nicol served with the 71st AFA Bn (part of the 5th Armored Division) and hailed from Mercerville, NJ. The 71st fought in France and Germany. He is listed in this roster.

Marion:

 

 

 

Lt. Nicol grew up in the Hartford, Connecticut area, where he enlisted in 1941. Where "Queens" come from as county of residence is common because the Nassau County community of Stewart Manor, like Bellerose, are very close to Queens. Attached are two news clippings regarding Lt. Nicol.

 

Good work, so far, Marion!

 

Joe

Obit Lt Robert Nicol.pdf

Funny, just realized I had his name (Robert B)on my VI Corps forum, along with some other men of my dad's unit.

 

http://www.6thcorpsc...p?showtopic=743

 

http://www.6thcorpsc...?showtopic=7098

Joe:

 

Aha, so I think we have our man then. It would have been the Robert B Nicol who was a member of my dad's unit, the 540th Engineer Combat Regiment.

I have the NARA unit records from February of that year. Let me see what else I can find then....

Warmly,

Joe:

 

We've got it nailed. I have specific information on Lt Nicol from the Daily Journal Report, as follows:

 

6 February, 1944: Approx. 2 miles south of Nettuno, Italy. Co's "D" & "E" operating Red Beach, moving to a new bivouac approx. 400 yds east of Red Beach, beach re-opened at approx. 1600a, this date. Co, "F" STARTED operations at Port of Anzio, Italy at approx. 1800A this date. Major MONNIER assumed command of Harbor of Anzio, Italy, 1880A this date. Unloaded from Red beach as follows: Class II & IV - 93 tons, Class V- 78 tons, total tonnage discharged - 171 tons. Air raids at approx. 0400A & 0500A, during the 0400A raid, 1st Lt, WALTER W. WAGNER, 2nd Lt WILLIAMS, 2nd Lt NICOL, all Co. "E" officers, killed in action when bomb was dropped adjacent to their foxholes. Cpl Zarnicki, Co "D" slightly wounded during same raid, not hospitalized.

 

This report and others from same journal were written by C.S. MONNIER, Lt. Col. C.E. Commanding

 

The entire report can be found here:

 

Warmly,

Well there we are. All in a good day's work. And yes Joe, it would be great if we could come up with a picture of the Lt. Wouldn't that put the icing on the cake!

Smiles, :pdt12:

What a wonderful topic to read! What great work and great to see these men being remembered!!!

My Dad's deceased parents moved to Bellerose, LI, NY, - and no one ever seems to of heard of Bellerose. This reminded me that whatever little clippings from papers that they saved - I should scan and put up on your site Marion.

I will put it on my long list of things I want to do....

All the best!

Jean

Indeed, Jean. Would love to see the clippings. So glad you have those. It's so fun being a sleuth, especially when everything falls in to place.

BTW, I LOVED, "Faster than tech-savvy "Garcia" of "Criminal Minds" could ever do...". That just made my day and it made me laugh. I always picture working for them or working for some big attorney and doing all the behind the scenes research. Always loved doing that.

Very cool to see that you could help someone like this. Great info.

I am pleased to report that Lt. Robert B. Nicol's niece was kind enough to forward a military photo of her Uncle Bob. This photo was taken prior to his receiving his commission at Ft. Belvoir in 1943. If anyone recognizes the patch, don't hesitate to comment.