Collinsworth, Jerry D., Col

From Patriot Guard Riders:
 

"Jerry was a rare American Spitfire Ace during WWII. He later led the F-104
program at Luke.
Collinsworth, Col. J.D. USAF (retired) Colonel Collinsworth passed away of
natural causes on 
12 May, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. Born in Dublin, Texas on 23 Dec, 1919
Colonel Collinsworth
enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in 1941. After primary
and basic flying training he was assigned to Luke Field where he received
his advanced flying training and was commissioned. After graduating from
pilot training, he was assigned to the 31st Fighter Group at various
stations throughout the British Isles. He flew the English-built Spitfire
fighter aircraft and fought in the Battle of Dieppe in August 1942. Other
action during World War II included flying combat missions through the
entire North Africa campaign. He flew cover during the Sicilian invasion
from the island of Gozo. He was with the first American squadron to occupy
and fly from an aerodrome in Sicily. After the war, Colonel Colllinsworth
was separated from the Air Force and flew with United Airlines from October
1945 to December 1947. He then returned to active service. His primary
duties were
base operations officer and student. He attended instrument pilot
instruction and advanced interceptor training in the F-94B at Tyndall AFB,
Florida in 1951. In that same year he was assigned to Alaska where he served
as the Commander, 66th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
From July 1955 to July 1959 Colonel Collinsworth served with the 137th
Fighter Interceptor Squadron (New York Air National Guard) at White Plains,
New York. In July 1959 he was assigned to HQ Military Assistance Advisory
Group (MAAG) in Taipei, Taiwan for two years. Colonel Collinsworth spent the
next three years at Luke AFB as 4510th Combat Crew Training Group Deputy
Commander and then Commander, 4540th Combat Crew Training Group. In the
latter position he was responsible for the training of all West German
student pilots at Luke. On orders to Cannon AFB, NM in July, 1964, Colonel
Collinsworth assumed duties as Deputy Commander for Operations, 27th
Tactical Fighter Wing. In September 1965, he returned to Luke as the
Commander, 4510th Combat Support Group. Colonel Collinsworth received his BA
degree in Business Administration from the University  of Texas in 1955. The
Colonel was a command pilot with over 7000 hours flying time and was an
"ace" in WWII. This title is awarded to pilots who shoot down five or more
enemy aircraft in aerial combat. Among his awards and decorations are the
Distinguished Flying Cross, WWII Victory Medal, Army Commendation Medal and
the Purple Heart. He is survived by his wife of more than 64 years Frances
Collinsworth and his son Ross Collinsworth, USAF Lt Col (retired). He will
be buried at the National Cemetery in north Phoenix on 21 May, 2010."

Eagle Biography

Jerry D. Collinsworth

Jerry D. Collinsworth is one of the few Americans to become an ace flying the Supermarine Spitfire. Born in Dublin, Texas, Collinsworth spent most of his early life in the panhandle oiltown of Borger. After high school, he set a goal to become a military pilot. After a semester at Texas A&M, six months as an oil field roughneck, and two years at Texas Tech, he became an Army Air Corps aviation cadet. The United States had been pulled into World War II before Collinsworth reached his goal. In March 1942, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and received his wings.

He avoided an assignment to bombers and was posted to the 31st Pursuit Group at New Orleans AB. Within weeks, the Group was sent to England. This first "Yank" fighter unit in the country since World War I was equipped with the Spitfire, which had earned fame during the Battle of Britain. On 19 August 1942, Collinsworth received his "baptism by fire " while covering the ill-fated commando raid on Dieppe, France. The unit, now the 31st Fighter Group, loaded its "Spits" onto a light carrier and headed south to the Mediterranean. Collinsworth helped spearhead Operation Torch landings at Oran, Algeria, and spent many hours in the air as the allies closed in on the Axis forces in Tunisia. Next, he flew cover for the allied landings in southern Sicily, operating from Malta's sister island of Gozo.

In 125 combat sorties, Collinsworth shot down six Axis aircraft along with one probable and one damaged. In September 1943, he returned to America, finishing the war training pilots in the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. After two years as a United Airlines pilot he returned to Air Force blue as an instructor and base operations officer at Craig Field, Alabama. In early 1951, he upgraded to the new radar-equipped Lockheed F-94 Starfire and, later that year, reported to the 449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) at Ladd AFB, Alaska. He next commanded the 66th FIS at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

After graduation from Air Command and Staff School in 1954, he earned a degree at the University of Texas. Collinsworth served four years as advisor to the New York Air National Guard and two years in the Military Assistance Group to the Chinese Air Force on Taiwan. From 1961 to 1964, he was Deputy Commander, 451Oth Combat Crew Training Group (CCTG) and then Commander, 4540th CCTG, training German pilots in the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Collinsworth later flew North American F-100 Super Sabres as Deputy Commander for Operations, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing. After tours as a base commander in Arizona, and Thailand, he returned to Texas, retiring as Professor of Aerospace Studies at Southern Methodist University.