Edward C. Collins entered the military service in California. He resided in Los Angeles County, California prior to the war. Edward served as a Captain and Photographer on B-24D #42-41178, Headquarter's Squadron, Headquarter's Group, XX Bomber Command, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Edward was normally assigned to the 10th Army Air Force Combat Camera Unit but was assigned to this flight.

B-24D #42-41178 took off, with a crew of 7 and 1 passenger, from Tezpur Airfield, Assam State, India on a reconnaissance mission bound for Cheng Tu Airfield, Szechuan Province, China. They never arrived at their destination. All on this B-24 were lost, it was March 15, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 25, 1946. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Edward was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov