Donald Ivan Collins
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
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
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 799400
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-683283
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 24 December 1943
- Date: 16 December 1943
- Date: 13 December 1943
![Personnel of the 94th Bomb Group at a mission briefing. A censor has obscured the maps and charts in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press'[stamp],'Passed for publication 14 December 1943.'[stamp] '296691.'[Censor no] Printed caption on reverse: 'Operations Room at US Air Base. Preparing for take off. Associated Press photo shows: Col.F. W. Castle, Group Commanding Officer, gives the massed crews of the base the last part of the briefing, and a personal 'Godspeed' and 'Good Luck' in](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-408449.jpg.webp?itok=nKEJNh_9)
- Date: 11 December 1943
- Date: 5 December 1943
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
Added some punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.
Updated the label for a KIA event per info in the "Summary biography".
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.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces