LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer Ronald Thomas COLLINS

Service No: 418811
Born: Brighton VIC, 5 January 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 June 1942
Unit: No. 40 Squadron (RAF), Foggia Main, Italy
Died: Air Operations: (No. 40 Squadron Wellington aircraft LP195), Austria, 7 July 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Klagenfurt War Cemetery, Austria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Matthew and Elizabeth Ann Collins, of Brighton, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brighton VIC
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Wellington LP195 took off from Foggia Main landing ground, Italy, on 7th July 1944, detailed to attack Feuersbrunn aerodrome near Vienna. The purpose of this attack was to disrupt German fighter aircraft operations against US Bombers raiding facilities on the oil supply route along the Danube River. The formation of Squadron aircraft encountered German fighters and three of the aircraft, including LP195 were shot down in close proximity to St Polten, approximately 50 kms west of Vienna. All the crews in the three squadron aircraft were killed.

The crew members of LP195 were –

Sergeant Vincent Charles (1675761) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Ronald Thomas Collins (418811) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Rae Charles Dalton (418923) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Maxwell Wellman Marsh (415811) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Douglas William Nicolls (1395633) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)

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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/8/545

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