LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Lindsay COLLINS MID
Service No: 430438
Born: Moreland VIC, 10 January 1925
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 January 1943
Unit: No. 76 Squadron
Awarded the Mentioned in Despatches (MID), 24 July 1947
Died: Air Operations: (No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-1134), Borneo, 26 June 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Labuan War Cemetery, Malaysia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Roland John and Ruby Gwendoline Collins, of Scoresby, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 26 June 1945, Kittyhawk A29-1134 flown by Pilot Officer Collins was one of four aircraft that took off from Labuan at 1630 hours to strafe camouflaged enemy aircraft at Keningau south airfield. At about 1650 hours, the four aircraft heading east made a low tactical approach to the airfield. After pulling up to 1,000 feet line astern, the formation turned about and made a diving strafing attack on the aircraft dispersed at the northern end of the airfield. Pilot Officer Collins initiated the first attack and when pulling out low, A29-1134 rolled on its back and struck the ground and burned on impact, killing Pilot Officer Collins. The accompanying pilots were Squadron Leader Bert Augustus Grace DFC (402053) (Discharged: 26 September 1945), Flight Lieutenant Frank Ronald Schaaf DFC & Bar (O3382) (Discharged: 9 November 1964) and Flying Officer Willliam Carlisle Kertiz (418849) (O33150) (Discharged: 28 February 1974).
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/8/1072; A9845, 171