The Nitschke-Rathkey Collection
Leroy Nitschke
Leroy "Old Nick" Nitschke
Leroy Nitschke or "Old Nick," as he was known since he was known around Station 356, was an armorer assigned to the 334 Armament Section. Jelly was one of a small cadre of men at Station 356 who always seemed to have a camera handy, and took hundreds of photographs during his three years in England. It was said of Nick he lied to get into two wars; he claimed he was older than he was in order to serve in the US Navy in World War I, then claimed he was younger than his actual age to get into the fight in World War II. Leroy was one of the founders of the Association of the 4th Fighter Group, and served in several capacities through the years, including president from 1975-77.
Jim Rathkey
Jim Rathkey
Jim Rathkey was a teletype operator in 334. In the late 60s, when Leroy Nitschke was helping form the Association of the 4th Fighter Group, his travels brought him through Jim's hometown of Lititz , Pennsylvania. Jim offered his place for the night, and soon a friendship was born. Whenever Nick traveled in the Northeast, he and his wife would visit with the Rathkeys. Soon, Nick began sending Jim copies of the hundreds of photos he took while serving with the 4th, and Jim's collection grew to over 400 images. When Jim passed away in 2018, his daughters Linda and Diane donated his collection of Nitschke's photos to the A4FG.
Original captions from photos used when possible, and appear in quotations.
Photos courtesy of Linda Stine and Diane Good
Original captions from photos used when possible, and appear in quotations.
Photos courtesy of Linda Stine and Diane Good
