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name
COLLINS, Clark - Date of
birth
15 March 1920 -
Age
23 -
Place of birth
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan -
Hometown
Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-671504 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
357th Fighter Squadron,
355th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
5 November 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, off the coast of West Schouwen, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Russell S. Collins (father)
Helen C. (Bennett) Collins (mother)
Jane Collins (sister)
Sara L. (Stuart) Collins (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-8406 -
Data
Type: P-47D
Nickname: Eager Beaver
Destination: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bomber escort
MACR: 1169
More information
Clark Collins graduated from Baldwin High School and attended Dartmouth College with the Class of 1941. He was employed as a purchasing agent for Stow-Davis Furniture Company in Grand Rapids.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on 20 March 1942.
Statement from 1st Lt Frederick W. Kelley, who flew in the same mission: "After I made my pass on an ME 109, I continued my turn to the left for 360°, heading toward Germany, where I had last seen Lt Collins's plane. When I had completed my turn, I saw at least seven aircraft milling about the sky. Our altitude was almost 17,000 feet. I didn't identify any of the aircraft, but believing them to be enemy aircraft, I called to Lt Collins to break down and head for home as I did the same. I split-essed down to about 10,000 feet and looked around, seeing no planes in the sky, and headed home. I made repeated calls to Lt Collins but got no reply."
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com, www.bevrijdingsmuseumzeeland.nl, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, James William Smith via Arie-Jan van Hees