Biography.guide
Home › People › Nick Knilans
Portrait of Nick Knilans

Nick Knilans

1917 – 2012

American pilot

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Nick Knilans

Lived 1917 – 2012 (aged 94). Nick Knilans was an American.

Hubert Clarence "Nick" Knilans, (27 December 1917 – 1 June 2012) was an American bomber pilot who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

Military career Born in Delavan, Wisconsin, Knilans was conscripted by the United States Army in April 1941 but, wanting to fly, he absconded to Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He sailed across the Atlantic aboard the Queen Elizabeth and joined No. 619 Squadron RAF in June 1943.

While Knilands served with 619 Squadron, he was officially transferred to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), at the rank of first lieutenant – equivalent to an RAF flying officer. (Though due to the significantly higher rates paid in the US forces, he received pay equivalent to an RAF group captain.) Knilands was officially seconded to the RAF; he and his crew flew operations with 619 until January 1944, when they volunteered to join No. 617 Squadron RAF ("The Dambusters"). With 617 they took part in various raids, including Operation Taxable, Operation Paravane, and the attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz.

Knilans was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 17 January 1944, the Commonwealth Distinguished Flying Cross, the United States Distinguished Flying Cross and six Air Medals.

Later life After the war, Knilans was a teacher for 25 years and worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nigeria for two years. He never married.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Distinguished Service Order; Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom); Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Nick Knilans's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Nick Knilans?

American pilot (1917-2012)

When was Nick Knilans born?

Nick Knilans was born on 27 December 1917 in Delavan.

When did Nick Knilans die?

Nick Knilans died on 1 June 2012 in King.

What nationality was Nick Knilans?

Nick Knilans was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Nick Knilans

· Wikidata: Q15971242

· DBpedia: Nick Knilans

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nick Knilans. https://biography.guide/nick-knilans/

MLA: "Nick Knilans." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nick-knilans/.

Chicago: "Nick Knilans." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nick-knilans/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:09 UTC