Cpl. Edward Joseph Collins
Born: 4 March 1909 – Chicago, Illinois
Parents: William P. Collins and Louise M. Windish-Collins
Siblings: 2 sisters, 2 brothers
Home:
– 425 South Nineteenth Avenue – Maywood, Illinois
Education:
– Saint James Catholic School
– Proviso Township High School
– Northwestern University
– Class of 1934
Employment:
– Accountant – Armour & Company
Selective Service Registration: 16 October 1940
– Contact Person: William P. Collins – father
Inducted:
– 27 February 1942
– U. S. Army Air Corps – Camp Grant, Illinois
Serial Number: 3632224
Training:
– Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri
– Lowery Airfield, Colorado
– Minter Airfield, California
– Scott Airfield, Illinois
– Rapid City Airfield, South Dakota
– left 4 April 1944
Unit: 602nd Bomb Squadron, 398th Bomb Group (Heavy), 8th Army Air Force
Stationed: Nuthampstead, England – 22 April 1944
Engagements:
– Target Thionville, Germany – 11 May 1944 (first mission)
– Target: rail yard – Politz, Germany
– 13 May 1944
– Target: synthetic oil refinery
– Ludwigshafen, Germany – 27 May 1944
– Target: rail yard and chemical plant
– Ruhland, Germany – 28 May 1944
– Target: a synthetic oil plant
– hit by shrapnel from flack
Died:
– 4 June 1944 – Doddington, England – wounds
Buried:
– St. Joseph Cemetery – River Grove, Illinois
Medals: Purple Heart
