Name: Joseph Gordon Nicholson Service Number: 607 97 82 Rank/Rate: Torpedoman's Mate, Third Class Service: USS Flier (SS-250), U.S. Submarine Force Date of Birth: November 17, 1914 Place of Birth: Erinville, Guysborough Co.,NS Enlistment: Lynn, Massachusetts Martial Status: Single Date of Death: August 13, 1944 Age at Death: 29 Memorial: National Submarine Memorial (Seal Beach, California) US Joseph Gordon Nicholson was the son of Malcolm Nicholson (b. 1878) and Agatha (MacKinnon) Nicholson (1891- 1949). Both parents were born in Cape Breton. His father was a carpenter and the family was living in Peobody, Massachusetts when Joseph Gordon was born in Erenville, Guysborough Co., NS. His parents married in Lynn, Massachusetts on November 26, 1912. Joseph Gordon Nicholson joined the US Submarine Force during WWII and served on USS Flier (SS-250). On 2 August 1944, USS Flier (SS-250) sailed on a second war patrol, bound for the coast of Indochina via the Lombok Strait, Macassar Strait and Balabac Strait. At about 22:00 hrs. on 12 August, while transiting Balabac Strait on the surface, the sub struck a naval mine and sank in about a minute. 15 officers and men were able to clamber out. Eight of them reached the beach of Byan Island after 17 hours in the water. Philippine guerrillas guided them to a coastwatcher, who arranged for them to be picked up by submarine, and on the night of 30–31 August, they were taken on board by USS Redfin. The wreck of USS Flier was found near Balabac Island in the Philippines in the spring of 2009

Sources: On Eternal Patrol - Lost Submariners of World War II USS Flier (SS-250)