Name: Otis Keith Nickerson Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: R/104088 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Date of Birth: June 2, 1922 Place of Birth: Yarmouth, NS Date of Enlistment: June 18, 1941 Place of Enlistment: RCAF Recruiting Station Halifax, NS Address At Enlistment: Yarmouth, NS Age at Enlistment: 19 Height: 5 feet, 9 inches Weight: 126 lbs. Complexion: Fair Eyes: Brown Hair: Dark Brown Trade: Student Marital Status: Single Religion: United Church Next of Kin: Keith Robert Nickerson (Father) Yarmouth, NS Date of Death: April 13, 1942 Age at Death: 19 Cemetery: Yarmouth Mountain Cemetery (Nova Scotia, Canada) Grave Reference: T-10. The 88th name on the WWII list of the Yarmouth War Memorial Commemorated on page 102 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 4 Otis Keith Nickerson was the son of Keith Robert and Blanche Annie (Surette) Nickerson, of Yarmouth. In 1922 the family lived on Baker Street, Yarmouth. His father was a barber. His brother Malcolm Horace Nickerson (1918-2005) enlisted with the Canadian Army at Halifax on September 10, 1942 and was discharged at Halifax March 14, 1946. Otis attended Yarmouth Center School between 1927 and 1936 and the Yarmouth Academy between 1938 and 1939. He worked as a clerk in the Men’s Department of the Yarmouth Royal Store, part time on Saturdays and school vacations between 1938 and 1941. At the time of his enlistment with the RCAF he was attending the Yarmouth Academy taking Grade 12 courses. Otis was a Cadet for the three years prior to his enlistment. Otis enjoyed bowling, baseball, hunting, swimming, and sailing. On enlistment he was, in the opinion of the interviewing officer, “ … a quiet mannered, mentally alert young man”. A reference letter provided by H Wetmore, a teacher at the Yarmouth Academy, stated, “He is of a rather quiet disposition, but I always found him dependable, industrious, and a good student …” Otis indicated that following his wartime service he would be interested in continuing in the RCAF or in civil aviation. He completed training between October 10, 1941 and December 5, 1941 with No 6 Initial Training School, Course 38, at Toronto and at Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), Oshawa, Ontario between December 8, 1941 and February 13, 1942. While training at No. 16 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Hagersville, Ontario, he was flying solo as a student pilot in an Anson aircraft that crashed on April 13, 1942. Otis Keith Nickerson was killed. His body was returned to Yarmouth for burial. Sources and Information: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Canadian Virtual War Memorial