CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
MCCOLLUM |
First Name/s: |
William John |
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Service No/s: |
R118907 |
Service: |
RCAF |
Branch: |
Air Gunner |
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Awards: |
France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, Memorial (Silver) Cross |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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19 Jul 1941 |
No.1 Manning Depot, Toronto, ON |
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08 Sep 1941 |
Underwent RCAF aircrew medical board, Calgary, AB |
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12 Sep 1941 |
No.10 Repair Depot, Calgary, AB |
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26 Nov 1941 |
No.1 Technical Training School, St Thomas, ON |
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21 Feb 1942 |
Promoted to Aircraftman 1st Class (AC1) |
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25 Feb 1942 |
No.5 Service Flying Training School, Brantford, ON |
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01 Jul 1942 |
Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) |
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05 Nov 1942 |
No.1 'Y' Depot, Halifax, NS for embarkation. |
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10 Dec 1942 |
Embarked Halifax, NS (Vessel n/k) |
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18 Dec 1942 |
Disembarked UK (possibly Liverpool) |
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19 Dec 1942 |
No.9 Recruit Centre, Blackpool |
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03 Jan 1943 |
No.421 Squadron RCAF, Redhill, servicing Spitfires. |
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24 May 1943 |
Preliminary Air Crew Training Wing, Abbey Lodge, Regents Park, London. remustering as Air Crew Under Training. |
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12 Jun 1943 |
No.14 Initial Training Wing, Bridlington |
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17 Jul 1943 |
Elementary Air Gunners School, Bridgenorth |
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13 Aug 1943 |
No.12 Air Gunners School, 2 Course, Bishop's Court |
Anson |
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25 Sep 1943 |
Remustered as Air Gunner, awarded Air Gunners Badge and promoted to Sergeant. |
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26 Sep 1943 |
No.30 Operational Training Unit, 26 Course, Hixon |
Wellington |
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15 Nov 1943 |
No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit, Lindholme |
Halifax |
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01 May 1944 |
No.1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell (precise date tbc). |
Lancaster |
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04 May 1944 |
No.550 Squadron, 'A' Flight, North Killingholme. Flew 3 operations as rear gunner to Plt Off K J Newman on 21 May (Duisberg), 22 May (Dortmund) & 24 May. (Aachen - engaged in an inconclusive combat) |
Lancaster |
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28 May 1944 |
No.11 Base, Lindholme |
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14 Jun 1944 |
No.576 Squadron, 'A' Flight, Elsham Wolds, joining the R E Linklater crew. |
Lancaster |
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11 Jul 1944 |
Promoted to Temporary Flight Sergeant |
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12 Jul 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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15 Jul 1944 |
Lost in operations |
Lancaster |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
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25 Jun 1944 |
ME854 |
UL-D2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h45 |
P1 Plt Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise. |
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29 Jun 1944 |
NE115 |
UL-B2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h30 |
P1 Plt Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise |
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02 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
DOMLEGER |
1220 |
1620 |
4h00 |
P1 Plt Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 'flying bomb' storage and supply depot. Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
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04 Jul 1944 |
ME854 |
UL-D2 |
ORLEANS |
2215 |
0445 |
6h30 |
P1 Plt Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. |
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05 Jul 1944 |
JA868 |
UL-J2 |
DIJON |
2115 |
0630 |
9h15 |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: H2S aircraft: 8x 1000lb, 3x 500lb bombs; all other aircraft 8x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs (it is not known if JA868 was fitted with H2S). On return, all Squadron aircraft were diverted to Coningsby due to low cloud at base. Beattie's logbook records take-off as 1950. |
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06 Jul 1944 |
JA868 |
UL-V2 |
Coningsby to Elsham Wolds |
nk |
nk |
0h30 |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Return to base from diversion. |
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07 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
CAEN |
1950 |
2350 |
4h00 |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy armour strongpoint on the Northern outskirts of Caen Flown in support of the Anglo-Canadian ground forces' attack on the town (Operation Charnwood). Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
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10 Jul 1944 |
ND859 |
UL-L2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h20 |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Practice bombing and fighter affiliation. |
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12 Jul 1944 |
ND994 |
UL-F2 |
REVIGNY |
2135 |
0635 |
9h00 |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. The Deputy Master Bomber instructed aircraft to return to base with bombs (‘Lysol’) as cloud was obscuring the target. SDF were marking the target. Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x500lb bombs. Diverted to Sandtoft due to weather at base. |
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13 Jul 1944 |
ND994 |
UL-F2 |
Sandtoft to Elsham Wolds |
nk |
nk |
0h10 |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Return to base following diversion. |
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14 Jul 1944 |
ND994 |
UL-F2 |
REVIGNY |
2115 |
FTR |
uk |
P1 Fg Off R.E. Linklater RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. The Master Bomber abandoned the operation due to low cloud and instructed aircraft to return to base with their bombs (‘Sugar Plum’). Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. ND994 took off from Elsham Wolds on the night of 14/15 July at 2116. Bad visibility in the target area made it very difficult for the Pathfinders to identify the target visually and, in view of this, the Master Bomber decided to abandon the raid just before the main force of bombers arrived. The bombers flew homewards without dropping their bombs, and at 0224 hours three short bursts of cannon fire from a night fighter were heard by Rene Demongeot, a young Maquisard who was hiding in the woods near Vitry-le-Crois. Roland Jeanovoine, standing outside his farmhouse also heard the cannon fire and saw a huge explosion overhead as NF994 was blown into two pieces. It is believed the Lancaster was downed by the Ju.88 of Luftwaffe ace Oblt. Ernst-Georg Drunkler from 1./NJG5 at 0217. He intercepted the bomber some 5km East of Celles-sur-Ource at 1300m (about 4,250ft). The tail section fell in a grass field near a small road at Loches-sur-Ource, the main part coming down in a corn field several hundred yards away, followed by two large explosions as its bombload detonated. Flight Sergeant McCollum was discovered in the tail section of the Lancaster. Surprisingly there were no signs of obvious external injury with the exception of a large bruise on his left cheek. It was stated that he was still alive for an hour after the crash by Dr Claude Poisson who had been called to the scene. The remains of the other six members of the crew were found in or in the vicinity of the main section of the wreckage. The local French inhabitants buried the crew in the churchyard at Loches-sur-Ource. It was a very moving ceremony attended by all villagers and local dignitaries. |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Details |
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William John McCollum was born on 24 September 1922 in Toronto, Ontario, son of John McCollum, an Irish immigrant and Elsie Pansy Webb from London, UK. He had no less than nine siblings; Alexander b.1920, Mary b.1921, Rose Ann b.1924, Robert b.1926, Eileen b.1927, Doris b.1929, Joan b.1930, John James b.1933 and Margaret b.1940. As he grew up, William attended St Vincent de Paul General School, Toronto; De La Salle College, Oaklands, ON; Parkdale Collegiate Institute and the Western Technical School in Toronto. He developed an eye for aviation and enrolled as a trainee airframe mechanic at the Galt Aircraft Training School in 1940. William lies buried with his crewmates at Loches-sur-Ource Communal Cemetery, Row 3 Grave 4. His tombstone is inscribed, 'HE DIED THE HELPLESS TO DEFEND. A FAITHFUL AIRMAN'S NOBLE END' In a letter that reached his parents shortly before they were informed he was missing, William assured his mother that there was no peril attached to an air gunner's work; 'Don't worry about me', he wrote, 'there's no danger'. McCollum family |
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PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Details |
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Students and instructors of the Galt Aircraft Training School, Oct 1940McCollum family |
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Possibly a graduation photograph on award of his Air Gunner's BadgeMark Simpson |
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The crew's funeral and the cemetery at Loches sur OurceMcCollum family |
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