Donald Ivan Collins

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
The insignia of the 544th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group. media-395076.jpg FRE 5133 The insignia of the 544th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5133 - The insignia of the 544th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group.

Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #126 dated 23 October 1943.  Flew 12 missions with Crew #41 November 1943-April, 1944. Planes flown include 'Our Baby' returned to base with over 200 holes. Fell from the ball turret without a parachute over the Channel on an operational mission, 3 Feb 1944 in B-17 #42-31495, 'WABBIT TWACKS'. Killed in Action (KIA)/Missing in Action (MIA)

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Four men standing to the rear and six men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Four men standing to the rear and six men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Four men standing to the rear and six men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11113446
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Gunner
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Four men standing to the rear and six men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little Audrey
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group Base Air Depot 1 368th Bomb Squadron 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Stella
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Liberty Run
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Sea Hag
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Wabbit Twacks
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Missoula, MT, USA 4 June 1942 Residence: Daniels County, Montana Private, Branch Immaterial

Died

Missing in Action (MIA)

3 February 1944 Lead group. Ball turret gunner, Donald Ivan Collins, "fell through" ball turret at 1232 hrs, 12,000ft, over enemy territory; he was not wearing a parachute. No MACR has been found. 

Other

Memorialized

Cambridge, England Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England: Tablets of the Missing

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added some punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.
Updated the label for a KIA event per info in the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributorbombercommand
Changes
Sources

http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=5315

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=2&cat=WR26&tf…

Information Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=c... for Donald L. Collins has been merged with this record.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces

Donald Ivan Collins: Gallery (3 items)