Simon Glancey has submitted the following:

LAC Nicholson was killed when the Japanese ship the S.S. Suez Maru was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine U.S.S. Blowfish. The ship was carrying 548 British and Dutch P.o.W.s from Japanese work camps, as well as several hundred sick and wounded Japanese troops, when it was torpedoed near Kangean Island. The American submarine was unaware of the presence on board of the Allied men. Around 200 of the prisoners managed to escape, but the Japanese minesweeper, W.12, which came to the rescue, only picked up Japanese and Korean survivors. The minesweeper's captain ordered that any Allied prisoners in the water should be machine gunned - all those who survived the sinking were killed.

Robert William Nicholson is remembered in Darlington on D40.023 and D40.035

Suez-Maru Roll of Honour
The Suez Maru incident
The CWGC entry for Leading Aircraftman Nicholson