LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman Daniel George COLLINS
Service No: 2988
Born: Waverley NSW, 11 December 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 30 August 1937 (at RAAF Station Richmond NSW)
Unit: No. 11 Squadron, Port Moresby PNG
Died: Ground Accident, near Tulagi, British Solomon Islands, 29 July 1940, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Frank and Wilhelmina Maud Lillian Collins
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 10, Port Moresby Memorial, PNGM
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Catalina Base Memorial, Rathmines NSW
Remembered: Rathmines Memorial Bowling Club, Rathmines NSW
Records also show Leading Aircraftman Collins’ first name as Darrel or Derrel.
On the 29 July 1940, Leading Aircraftman Collins, a Fitter II Engines, was a member of the crew of Flying Boat A18-12 and on board the aircraft which was at anchor at the flying boat base at Tanambogo Island. At approximately 1900 hours he was found to have disappeared from the aircraft and a search was made until 2345 hours that same night without success.
QANTAS Empire flying boat Coogee (VH-ABC) was impressed into RAAF service as A18-12 in mid-1940 and was lost in an accident at Townsville on 27 February 1942 (Pilot: Flying Officer Robert John Love (400004))
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 163/95/205
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
McFarlane, C.C. (Cyrus C.) Tojo’s Fate: Australia’s secret war, Sid Harta Publishers Glen Waverley VIC 3150, 2009
McMillan A. (Andrew) Catalina Dreaming: rescues exciting missions and other stories about the famous Australian flying boats of WWII, Duffy and Snellgrove Potts Point NSW, 2002
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Catalina, Neptune and Orion in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1991