Frederick Reginald Collins Photo: Mogens Jeppesen Updated: 11 MAY 2021
                                                                      
Airman: a113040.htm Surname: Collins Init: F R Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 103

P_link: p127.htm Plane: LAN W4786 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Gejlbjerg

Crash_d: d171242 Buried_d: b221242 C_link: c113.htm At_Next: Aabenraa, R 2-7

"Under en mineudlægningsoperation til Storebælt, ved Nyborg, (omkring her) blev et Lancaster fly
skudt ned af en tysk natjager over Sønderjylland.

Flyet styrtede ned ved Gejlbjerg (som er her) nordøst for Skærbæk den 17. december 1942.
Flere beboere såredes, og der skete skade på 13 ejendomme, da en af minerne eksploderede.
Hele flybesætningen omkom.

De øvrige 5 omkomne flyvere (G.T. Canterbury, F.R. Collins, N. Frater, S.T. Hewitt og J.A. Hollinsworth)
blev begravet den 22. december 1942 af pastor Carl Beuck. Tyske soldater bar kisterne til fællesgrave,
hvor et tysk æreskompagni afskød salut. Fra dansk side overværedes højtideligheden bl.a. af politimester
G. Schack, Toftlund." (FAF)

Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Frederick Reginald Collins var fra United Kingdom. (Kilde: CWGC)

Se LAN W4786 om alle de 7 flyvere, der blev begravet i Aabenraa.
Se Lancaster fotos * Minelægningsområder * p127MACR. 7 flyvere.

This Lancaster was shot down by a German night fighter during a minelaying operation to the
Great Belt (about here).
LAN W4786 crashed at Gejlbjerg (which is here) on 17 December 1942. Several residents were injured
and at least 13 houses were damaged, when one of the mines exploded. All of the crew perished.

G.T. Canterbury, F.R. Collins, N. Frater, S.T. Hewitt and J.A. Hollinsworth  were buried on 22 December 1942 by Vicar Carl Beuck. German soldiers carried the coffins to collective graves, where a German
See No. 103 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia * Lancaster photos * Minelaying areas.
Lancaster I W4786 PM- took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 17.35 hrs on 17 DEC 1942.
(Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)  7 airmen.company as guard of honour fired a salute.
Chief Constable G. Schack from Toftlund and other Danes
attended the ceremony. (Source: FAF)

Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Frederick Reginald Collins was from the United Kingdom. (Source: CWGC)
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 1, Panel 22.

See No. 103 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia * Lancaster photos * Minelaying areas.
Lancaster I W4786 PM- took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 17.35 hrs on 17 DEC 1942.
(Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)  p127MACR  7 airmen.