Sergeant Francis William Nixon (1134784) served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. Born on 28th November 1918, he was the son of Robert James Nixon and Emily James Nixon (née Brady) of Glasgow, Lanarkshire. He was the husband of Mary Eleanor Nixon (née Bell) of Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh.
Francis died on 2nd September 1943 aged 25 years old. He was a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner with R.A.F. No. 11 Operational Training Unit on Vickers Wellington R1451 TX-O. The Mark Ic bomber took off from R.A.F. Westcott, Buckinghamshire, England on a night-time training exercise. It crashed at 2145hrs about 5 miles from the airbase, west of the village of Pyrton, Oxfordshire, England.
Francis William Nixon’s grave is in Galloon St. Comgall Church of Ireland, Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh. His headstone bears the inscription:
Safe in God’s keeping till we meet again.
On 3rd October 2012, the Aircrew Remembrance Society unveiled a new memorial at the crash site. Relatives of the crew attended the ceremony.