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COLLINS, R D

Stats:

rank: Lt
status: survived
airforce: SAAF    (no: 329177V )
born: South Africa

added by: Justin
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Bio / Text:

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73 squadron
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Squadrons:

Squadrons add
AirforceSqdrnDate
RAF 73 1945-02-01

Aircraft:

Aircraftadd
SerialNoteDate
MA620 Air test 1945-03-01
MA620 Air test 1945-03-02
MA484 Biferno to Canne 1030 to 1040 1945-03-05
JL239 To Prkos 0645 to 0740 1945-03-09
JL239 Four a/c airborne on DC transport escort, unable to complete owing to weather. All a/can returned to their bases. 1945-03-09
MK568 To Prkos from base 1025 to 1115 1945-03-13
MK568 Three a/c escort to Halifax dropping supplies in Ljubljana area. 1230 to 1505 1945-03-13
PT668 Four a/c sweep. Please read picture above. 1945-03-13
MA620 Air test 1945-03-19
MA796 To Prkos 1030 to 1120 1945-03-21
MA796 Four a/c sweep main & secondary roads Bihać, Sunja & Senj. No movements notice. 1945-03-21
PT671 Airborne with F/Lt Feeney, weather recce at Prkos 0550 to 0610 1945-03-22
MJ835 Airborne with F/Lt Feeney, bombed building Bihać town. Low haze prevented pilots observing any damage. 1945-03-22
JL239 Airborne again with F/Lt Feeney, bomb river road bridge at Karlovac. 2 near misses. 1945-03-22
JL239 Airborne with F/Lt Feeney. Armed recce Bihać, Bosanski Novi strafed & destroyed 1 loco plus 4 wagons. 1945-03-23
JL239 Airborne again with F/Lt Feeney bomb bridge S. of Otocac. Two bombs landed on ammo dump 10 yards from bridge, explosion sent black smoke up to 500ft. 1945-03-23
PT671 Eight a/c from base (Canne) to Prkos 0700 to 0750 1945-03-25
PT671 Eight a/c escort to 12 DC.3 transport between Prkos & Livade L.G with supplies to forward troops. 1945-03-25
MJ769 Airborne with F/O Letts recce Gospić, Otočac & Senj. Nothing seen apart from 1 horse drawn vehicle. 1945-03-25
MJ769 Six a/c escort 12 more DC.3 to & from Livade L.G, without incident. 0720 to 0940 1945-03-26
MJ769 Four a/c bombed Ostrozac & Jizbacici. F/Sgt Pratt hit by flak and crashed. Pilot missing. 1115 to 1245 1945-03-26
MJ769 Airborne with Capt Maritz, road recce Bosanski Novi, Karlovy & Senj areas 1945-03-26
MH607 Three a/c to bomb Slunj, weather prevented the attack jettisoned bombs in the sea. 1945-03-26
MH607 Four a/c to bomb Bihić & Bosanski Novi, no targets. Bombed bridge at Otoka, 8 near misses. 1945-03-27
MJ769 Four a/c bomb Ostrožac & Bosanski Novi. Strafed 6 MT's destroyed 2 & damaged 3 others. 1945-03-29
MJ769 Airborne with F/O Green bombed Otoka bridge, 4 near misses. 1945-03-29
MJ769 Recce Gospić L.G for reported F.W190 no a/c seen. Bombed Gospić town. 0645 to 0800 1945-03-30
MJ769 Four a/c airborne two bombed Bos Krupa & two Senj. Recce road to Karlovac, nothing seen. 0945 to 1055 1945-03-30
MH607 Four a/c bombed strongpoint at Jezero village. All bombs around target. 1945-03-30
MH607 Prkos to base 1435 to 1530 1945-03-30
MA408 Base (Canne) to Prkos 0810 to 0915 1945-04-05
Squadron move to Prkos 1945-04-05
MA408 Briefed on attack with bombs on 25 M.T's S. of Sarajevo. Bad weather returned to base, bombs jettisoned in sea.1115 to 1300 1945-04-06
MK568 Shipping recce with Lt Harper, 1 small vessel seen entering (Rijeka) Fiume harbour. No other shipping seen. 1945-04-09
MJ238 Airborne with F/Sgt Mickelthwaite road recce Novo Mesto to Karlovac, a number of horse draw vehicles & troops were observed. 1945-04-11
EN135 Four a/c airborne bombed railroad bridge W. of Maglaj, 2 near misses 2 bombs damaged road way. After stafed M.T's 10 destroyed 3 damaged. 1945-04-11
JL239 Four a/c armed recce stretching from Bodoj to Brod, bombed stationary loco & wagons, strafed many wagons. Tracks cut. 1945-04-12
MJ238 Four a/c strafing attacks on Freya radar station, Permantura south tip of Istria left in cloud of dust. 1945-04-14
MK568 Airborne with Lt Harper weather recce. 1945-04-15
EN135 Four a/c bombed & strafed MT's S.E of Generalski Stol, two pilots hit by flak & didn't return. (F/O Letts & F/O Baker) 1945-04-16
MH778 Airborne with F/O Pearce to bomb targets alone road at Istria, one a/c developed fuelling trouble both return to base after jettisoned bombs. 1945-04-17
MJ248 Airborne with F/Sgt Mickelthwaite air test. 1945-04-17
EN135 Air test 1945-04-18
EN135 Airborne with F/O Lawrence tac/recce to Kraljevica & areas. Reported movements of M.T's, trailers, field guns & marching troops were notice. 1945-04-18
EN135 Four a/c airborne 1 developed engine trouble & returned (Lt Westbrook) bombing marshaling yard at Kočevje 4 direct hits 2 near misses. Rail tracks cut. 1945-04-19
JL239 Four spits escort to 6 DC a/c duty carried out without incidents. 1945-04-20
MJ769 Recce with Lt Harper at Pula harbour, nothing seen. 1945-04-21
EN135 Airborne with Lt Van Den Bergh Tac/R weather conditions rendered sortie aborted. 1945-04-22
MJ769 Airborne with Lt Harper provided cover for Hurricanes from 6 Squadron with rockets on gun positions at Kartav (near Fiume) 2 near misses 2 wide. Our Spit went in after strafing. 1945-04-23
MJ769 With S/Ldr Furniss & W/O Howard at Nova Mesto & Tresňje bombed 2 loco's 40 wagons. Bombs 2 direct hits on wagons & 2 bombs on station. After a strafing attack all wagons damaged. 1945-04-24
MJ238 Airborne with Lt Harper, escort 2 M.T.B's 1225 to 1415 Other sections & squadrons escorted throughout the day. Assisting evacuation from Istria. 1945-04-25
JL239 Four a/c covering Ploa 2 of section returned owing to 1 a/c having engine trouble (F/O Pearce & Lt Collins). The other 2 bombed railway tunnel 2 near misses 2 wide. 1945-04-26
Air test 1945-04-26
MK119 Air test 1945-04-26
ES110 Air test 1945-05-03
MA408 Armed recce to Lippa area. Unable to penetrate clouds below mountains. 1945-05-03
EN135 Four a/c airborne Lt Collins developed engine trouble & escorted back to base. No targets seen by rest of section. 1945-05-04
MA408 Located large convoy all showing signs of surrender. Please read picture above. 1945-05-04
PT671 Tac/R with F/Lt Green reported M.T's going N. and N.E. Also two stationary loco's. 1945-05-07
German surrenders war in Europe is over. 1945-05-07
MA408 Eleven a/c pratice flying. 1945-05-10
MK568 Practice flying 1945-05-11
MA408 Practice aerobatics 1945-05-23
MA484 Brindisi to Biferno 1215 to 1315 1945-05-24
MA484 Biferno to Bari 1500 to 1530 1945-05-24
MA408 Biferno to Bari 1945-05-25
MA484 Bari to Brindisi 1945-05-28
MA408 Practice flying 1945-05-29
Lt R.Collins (SAAF) recalled to proceed home. 1945-06-06

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