Woodrow Raymond Collins was born on August 3, 1918. He was the son of Raymond and Alice Ketcham Collins. He was married to Mildred W. Collins.

Woodrow served in the 409th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner on the B-24 #41-28626 'Thunderbird' during World War II.

On February 5, 1944, the crew took off from Station 104 in Hardwick, England, for a mission to Chateaudun, France. At around 11:45 am, their plane suffered mechanical problems causing it to be uncontrollable, and crashed at a place called Petit Neuf Manor, 2 km northeast of Danzé. The airplane was completely evacuated by the crew members before it crashed into the ground and exploded. Fortunately, all members survived, but all were captured by the Germans. SSgt Collins was taken to Stalag Luft IV in Gross Tychow, Poland.

Collins' last assignment in the Air Force was in the 123 Base Unit as a Technical Sergeant. He died on November 23, 1966, at the age of 48, in Plymouth, North Carolina, and is now buried in the Plymouth United Methodist Church Cemetery, Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net