Frank Alistair Collins DFC RCAF and crew – 576 Squadron – 1944 / 45
Collins ( pictured above ) and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron at RAF Fiskerton around Late October early November 1944. The 576 Squadron Operational Record book does not mention this. At this stage the crew was as follows :-
F/O FA Collins RCAF - Pilot
Sgt K Tamkin RAFVR – Flight Engineer
F/O C L Dalgetty RCAF – Air Bomber
F/O W A Smith RCAF - Navigator
Sgt HGC Cutler RAFVR – Wireless operator
Sgt W N Riley RCAF – Air Gunner
Sgt W Millard RCAF – Air Gunner.
L to R - Cutler, Riley, Smith, Collins, Dalgetty, Millard, and Tamkin
The crew flew the following operations with 576 Squadron :-
Collins flew as second pilot 27 November 1944, Freiburg, NG119 with F/O K A Moore and crew
Their tour continued as follow:-
12/12/1944 - Essen - Point of Aim - PD403 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
15/12/1944 - Ludswighafen/Oppau - Chemical - NF975 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
17/12/1944 - Ulm - Point of Aim - ME671 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
/12/1944 - Bonn - Railway yards - LM594 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
29/12/1944 - Scholven Buer - Oil - NN749 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
02/01/1945 - Nuremberg - Point of AimNN749 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
05/01/1945 - Royen - Army support - NN749 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
14/01/1945 - Leuna - Oil - PD363 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
16/01/1945 - Zietz - Oil - SW276 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
28/01/1945 - Stuttgart/ Zuffenhausen - Aero engine factory - SW276 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
01/02/1945 - Ludswigshafen - Point of Aim - JB410 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
02/02/1945 - Wiesbaden - Point of Aim - JB410 - F/O FA Collins RCAF
07/02/1945 - Kleve - Army support - JB410 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
13/02/1945 - Dresden - Operation Thunderclap - B410 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
14/02/1945 - Chemnitz - Operation Thunderclap - B785 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
21/02/1945 - Duisburg - Point of Aim - PD363 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
23/02/1945 - Pforzheim - Point of Aim - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
28/02/1945 - Neuss - Army Support SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF – Aborted - Raid recalled due to uncertainty of position friendly troops.
01/03/1945 - Mannheim - Point of Aim - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
05/03/1945 - Chemnitz - Operation Thunderclap - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
07/03/1945 - Dessau - Point of Aim - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
15/03/1945 - Misburg - Oil - LM227 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
16/03/1945 - Nuremberg - Point of Aim - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
18/03/1945 - Hanau - Point of Aim - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
22/03/1945 - Hildersheim - Railway yards - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCA
24/03/1945 - Dortmund - Oil - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
27/03/1945 - Paderborn - Army Support - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
31/03/1945 - Hamburg - Shipyards - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
04/04/1945 - Lutzendorf - Oil - SW276 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
09/04/1945 - Kiel - Ship yard and naval base - ME502 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
10/04/1945 - Plauen - Railway yards - ME502 - F/L FA Collins RCAF
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Collins was awarded a DFC Gazetted 16 November 1945.
Compiled by David Fell with photos from my archive
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