Nurse, J H (John Hugh)
Nurse, J H (John Hugh)
Sub-Lieutenant (A) John Hugh Nurse was born on the 31st January 1921 and was the son of Hugh and Ethel Senior Nurse, of Sockburn, Canterbury, New Zealand.
John Nurse served with 896 squadron which had only arrived in Eglinton on the 30th of October 1943, after spending time on the carrier HMS Victorious[1] in the Pacific. On route to Northern Ireland, they had reequipped in Pennsylvania with Grumman F4F Wildcat V’s.[2] They would be transferred to the carrier HMS Pursuer,[3] which was in a dockyard in Liverpool being refitted.
John was flying Wildcat, JV413 on the day he was killed. Eight days prior to his accident the same plane was involved in another accident when Sub-Lieutenant L V H Martin, RNZNVR,[4] ran the fighter off the taxiway into soft ground and tipped the plane on its nose. These where the only accidents the squadron had while based at Eglinton.
The second accident happened when John was on a low flying formation over the river Foyle, County Londonderry with his squadron. His plane suddenly dipped and crashed into a shallow part of the river. The weather was awful. His body was soon recovered, and he was laid to rest with full military honours in Faughanvale (Saint Canice) Church of Ireland Churchyard.
Fifteen days after Sub-Lieutenant (A) John Hugh Nurse death, the squadron embarked on HMS Pursuer.
Date of Death: Died 19/11/1943 (Aged 22)
Service: Sub-Lieutenant (A), 896 squadron, H.M.S. Gannet, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: NK
Burial Location: Faughanvale (Saint Canice) Church of Ireland Churchyard, Grave 7.
[1] HMS Victorious, was an Illustrious-class aircraft carrier that was launched during September 1939. It survived the war and remained in service until 1968.
[2] Grumman F6F Hellcat was primarily a Carrier fighter plane produced by the United States which first flew it on the 26th of June 1942, going into full service a year later.
[3] HMS Pursuer was a US carrier originally loaned/leased to the UK called USS St. George. It was commissioned during July 1942 and commissioned to the Royal Navy during June 1943. It survived the war and was handed back during 1946. Later sold for scrap.
[4] RNZNVR is the Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserves.
