Ellis County Texas Archives Military Records.....Collard, Hugh 1943 WWII ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/txfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Virginia Crilley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000642 July 30, 2006, 5:36 pm Alma Boy Home on Furlough After Completing Forty - Eight Missions Witnes Sicily, Italy Invasion Overseas Eleven Months, Serving on Many Bombers Tech Sgt Hugh Collard of Alma who has been serving overseas, is spending a furlough with his mother, Mrs. George Collard [Sally Ruffin] of Alma. Sgt Collard, 32, graduated from Ennis High School in 1928 and worked as bookkeeper for the government before entering the service. He worked in Ennis a number of years ago for Mr. Glover when he was in business. He was inducted into the army Mar 15, 1942, and was sent to the reception center at Camp Walters, Texas. He received training at Sheppard Field, Wichita Falls, TX, Barksdale Field, LA, Tyndall, FL, Bear Field, IN, and Morris Field, FL. On Nove 18, 1942 he left for overseas duty. Sgt Collard was six days in making the trip in a bomber, but only sixty flying hours. Upon landing in Africa, he met Percy Fowler, a home town boy, the only person he met that he knew during his eleven months overseas. Sgt. Collard was turret gunner in the 17th Bomb Gre? and made forty eight missions over enemy territory. Forty of these missions were successful with only eight incomplete. In his squadron, a man making forty missions, was eligible for a furlough home, but because men were transferred for special raids, this squadron made the eight extra trips. He serves as a turret gunner with every pilot in his squadron and was on several different ships, one of the most famous ships, "Coughin' Coffin" on its fiftiet and last flight. This particular ship had a prayer writton in it before it left the United State through all its missions, ... battles, the prayer remained clear and plain. Out of the fity missions only one boy was slightly injured although at other times, forced landigs were made. On on one return flight over Italy, the bomber had a forced landing in Sicily. The bomber was wrecked, but the crew was not injured. Sgt. Collard said that a beautiful sight was the convoy of ships, planes, landing crafts in the invastion of Sicily and Itlay. There were twenty men who returned to the US in October. The return trip was by boat, and the men stood guad and served as gunners. Sgt Collard has five brothers. The youngest, Edward, is serving with the armed forces in Australia. *Edward died Nov 13, 1943 Frank Collard lives in Italy, Texas and Clyde lives in Los Angeles, Ca. Two brothers, Hatton and Theodore, live in Alma. On Nov 24, Sgt Collard reports for duty at Miami Beach, FL Additional Comments: son of George and Sallie Ruffin Collard File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/ellis/military/ww2/other/collard35gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/txfiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb