William Warren Nichols was born on Oct. 8, 1917, the only child of Clyde L. Nichols (1894-1939) and Lela Carpenter Nichols (1897-1977). Warren (as his classmates knew him) lived at 603 Fair Drive, attended Fountain City Grammar School and graduated from Central High School in 1936.
After graduating from UT with a degree in engineering, Warren was employed at Ira Watson Co. He entered the Army in May 1943 to fight in World War II. He was assigned to the 159th Engineer Combat Battalion. The battalion embarked for Europe on June 27, 1944, on the largest of the troopships, the West Point. On July 19 (D-Day + 43) his unit landed on Utah Beach in Normandy.
Allied Forces had invaded the continent of Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The 5000-ship armada, the largest ever assembled, crossed the English Channel carrying 156,000 troops. Although stiff resistance occurred at almost all of the thousands of hedgerows they seized, the massed Allied armies raced north and east through Belgium and northern France and liberated Paris on August 25.
First Lieutenant (later Captain) William Warren Nichols (1917-1985). Nichols was honored with the Bronze Star and Oak Leaf Cluster for his courage in the Battle of the Bulge and the Crossing of the Rhine during World War II. (Courtesy of Don-Eita H. Barkley)
Eisenhower and his staff at SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces) thought things were going well. But, in what Trevor Dupuy called “Hitler’s Last Gamble” in his 1994 book by that title, Hitler personally planned a surprise blitzkrieg through the Ardennes forest – difficult terrain with rolling hills, deep valleys and dense woodlands.
Hitler had declared all German men from 16 to 60 eligible to serve, raising 25 new divisions of Volksgrenadiers of 10,000 men each. They were equipped with automatic weapons – rapid firing “burp guns” and hand-launched, rocket-firing antitank weapons. To offset Allied air superiority, Hitler selected a time of year when extremely cold weather, fog and snow could be expected to limit sorties. The winter of 1944-45 proved to be the worst in 30 years with many days with sub-zero temperatures.
The surprise German attack, which became known as the “Battle of the Bulge,” began on Dec. 16, 1944, at 5:30 a.m. along a 60-mile front from Monschau in the north to Echternach in the south. Preceded by bombardment from 1,900 German guns, Hitler’s 13 infantry divisions and seven armored divisions, a total of 200,000 men with 970 tanks and self-propelled guns, exploded across the Our and Sauer rivers and moved west toward the Meuse to block Gen. George S. Patton’s Third Army.
Bronze Star
In a personal communication to the author, dated April 8, 1985, Mr. Nichols reported on his unit’s part in the action: “My outfit, the 159th Engineer Combat Battalion, was immediately committed as infantry troops and our mission was to attack the southern flank of the Bulge to try to throw the Germans off balance. … We were out there 10 days, lost 1/3 of our men and were completely surrounded.”
Capt. A.A. Bucko, Commander of C Battalion of the 159th, reported the following in recommending Lt. Nichols for the Bronze Star: “On 19 December 1944 at Scheidgen, Luxembourg, Lieutenant Nichols did successfully infiltrate through enemy lines and return with valuable information as to the location of enemy troop disposition and gun emplacements. During his return to friendly lines, he encountered enemy troops who were in the process of concentrating for an attack upon friendly positions. At great danger to himself he kept in contact with troops and determined their direction of attack and number of enemy troops that were amassed. As the enemy advanced, he withdrew slowly until he reached our lines and then directed effective fire upon the enemy troops.”
Lt. Nichols reported subsequent events, “On Christmas Eve, the Germans, wearing black leather coats, attacked our dug-in position across the snow. With the help of our devastating artillery backup, we killed 154 men in that attack. One boy surrendered, and he had been hit five times. … We withdrew into France to regroup and three days later I walked into Bastogne with my boys sweeping the roadway and railroad with minesweepers so the 4th Division Tanks could roll.”
The apex of the German advance eventually reached back into Belgium some 50 miles (The Bulge). When the weather broke on December 23, Allied planes could again perform surveillance and could support the troops on the ground. By mid-January the Ardennes campaign ended, having cost the enemy 120,000 casualties, 600 tanks, 1,600 planes and 6,000 other vehicles. Allied losses were also great – 77,000 men and 733 tanks and tank destroyers.
Oak Leaf Cluster
The next major obstacle to the invasion of the German heartland was the Rhine River. The American 87th Infantry Division, attached to Patton’s Third Army and commanded by Gen. Frank L. Culin, reached the river at Boppard in late March, and the 159th Combat Engineers were assigned to transport them across the river. In proposing an Oak Leaf Cluster for heroism for Lt. Warren Nichols, Capt. A.A. Bucko wrote the following:
“1st Lt William W. Nichols, Assistant S-2, 159th Engineer Combat Battalion, acting as Platoon Officer during the period of 24 March 1945 to 25 March 1945 distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.
“On 24 March and 25 March Lt. Nichols was assigned the important task of ferrying infantry troops across the Rhine River (at Boppard, Germany). The operation was carried on during the dead of night and was of prime importance, for infantry troops were required to secure the beach head on the opposite shore.
“Lt. Nichols directed the loading of each boat for the assault upon the enemy. The 12 boats assigned to his command successfully made their way back and forth across the river carrying capacity loads of assault troops. Lt. Nichols displayed outstanding courage and sterling leadership throughout the night, exposing himself continuously to the intense enemy artillery, machine gun and sniper fire while coordinating the movements of his boats.
“Lt. Nichols, by his cool manner and fearlessness, was an inspiration to his men, and by his precision planning and courage carried his mission through to a successful conclusion. His strategy and quick-thinking while directing the movements of his boats together with his courageous acts were instrumental factors in the success of the assigned mission. The personal bravery and unswerving devotion to duty displayed by this officer reflect high credit upon himself and the military service.”
By the end of March, the American, British and French armies were to the east of the Rhine. Slightly more than a month later, on May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered. The march to victory in Europe was completed.
When he returned from the war, Warren Nichols was again employed at the Ira Watson Co., owners of Watson’s Department Store on Market Square and a chain of stores in the South. He worked there for 42 years and retired as vice-president of real estate development. Nichols was on the board of directors at Watson’s, served on the board of the Hamilton National Bank and was a long-time member of Fountain City United Methodist Church.
A true patriot, William Warren Nichols, Bronze Star and Oak Leaf Cluster recipient, passed away on Nov. 22, 1985. His services were held at Gentry-Griffey Mortuary Chapel and his burial at Lynnhurst Cemetery. He made a difference in his home community and contributed greatly to the cause of freedom everywhere.
Jim Tumblin, retired optometrist and active historian, writes a monthly series on Fountain City for KnoxTNToday.com.