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Flight Lieutenant Martin George Francis NOCKOLDS (60293)
No. 25 Elementary Flying Training School, Royal Air Force Date of birth: 3rd August 1913 Date of death: 24th November 1942 Died of wounds aged 29 Buried at Harare (Pioneer) Cemetery European War Graves Plot Grave 82
Martin George Nockolds was born at Fulham in West London on the 3rd of August 1913 the only son of Martin Charles Hubert Nockolds, a land agent and surveyor, and Fanny Gertrude (nee Sanday) Nockolds of Castle Hill House, Saffron Waldron. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Fields House from September 1927 to December 1929. On leaving school he worked as an electrical engineer. He was married at Chelsea in 1939 to Gabrielle Grace (nee Ray), a clerk typist; they lived at "The Pheasantry" 152 King's Road, Chelsea. She was remarried in 1945 to Michael Irving Ardizzone. Following the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he rose to the rank of Sergeant before being was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation on the 3rd of November 1940. He was confirmed in that rank and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 3rd of November 1941. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 3rd of November 1942. He was posted as a flying instructor to No. 25 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Belvedere in Southern Rhodesia. On the 23rd of November 1942 Martin Nockolds took off from RAF Belvedere in Tiger Moth T8024 for a training flight with Leading Aircsraftsman Claude Powell Fotheringham as his pupil. During the flight the aircraft crashed and caught fire near Marandellas, in Mashonaland some 50 miles to the east of Harare killing Claude Fotheringham. Martin Nockolds was seriously injured with a fractured skull and was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries the following day.

Fields House