Loren George McCollom

Military
Major Loren G. McCollom, of the 56th Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Major Loren G. McCollom, 1943.' media-401338.jpg FRE 2587 Major Loren G. McCollom, of the 56th Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Major Loren G. McCollom, 1943.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 2587 - Major Loren G. McCollom, of the 56th Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Major Loren G. McCollom, 1943.'

Liutenant Colonel (LTC) Loren G. McCollom served as the Commanding Officer of the 353rd Fighter Squadron at Metifield UK from 18-Aug-43 to 25-Nov-43.

On 25-Nov-43 as pilot or P-47D #42-8395 [YJ-S] "Cookie" he led his fighter group in the first P-47 fighter/bomber operation of the war in the ETO. His Group was assigned to bomb and strafe the German airfield of Ft. Rouge at St. Omer, France.

During the attack his aircraft took a direct hit from Flak and burst into flames, but LTC McCollom was seen to bail out and landed near Lumbres, his Thunderbolt crashing a little over 10km further to the SE at Ecques, Pas-de-Calais, France.

He suffered severe burns to his hands, face and arms and was 5 weeks in a German field hospital before being sent to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth, Germany for the remainder of the war. This was the second Commanding Officer to be MIA since the Group had commenced operations on 12-Aug-43.

POW/ SS/ DFC/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster

2 victories

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 392nd Bomb Group 578th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Cookie
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group Headquarters (353rd Fighter Group)
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Butch II
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Ritzville, Washington 15 April 1914

Enlisted

10 August 1939

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 25 November 1943 - 4 July 1945 Held at Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang, Prussia. Officially Returned to Military Control 4-Jul-45.

Other

Retired from the Air Force

1 April 1968

Died

15 May 1982 Keeler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Corrected last name in Summary biography
MACR 1446
2008 E-mail correspondence with daughter Patricia Bauchman
Website of grandson at http://www.angelfire.com/mac/mccollom/index.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Jul-2015. Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added POW decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database and MACR 1445; Added Commanding Offcer dates per www.usaaf.com/8thaf/fighter/353fg.HTM; Added Summary Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Corrected spelling of incorrect 'McCollum' to correct 'McCollom'.
Source: http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/106322/…

Brought information from another duplicate entry for McCollom. This entry now includes information from the following additional sources:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.56thfightergroup.co.uk/personnel.htm

MACR 1446 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Combined two entries for Loren McCollum. This entry now includes information from the following source:
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Who's Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45, MACR 1446, Jonah's Feet Are Dry Pg 631

Loren George McCollom: Gallery (14 items)