![]() He commanded 420 Squadron then took the leadership of 97 Squadron, masterminding the 1942 Augsburg raid. Above: A German postcard showing the damage to the Mohne dam The dambuster bombs - codenamed Upkeep - achieved their main objective by breaching the Eder and Mohne dams and releasing 300million tonnes of water into the Ruhr valley. He added a Bar to his DFC leading a sub-formation on a daylight raid on Brest, destroying four enemy aircraft. He has invariably displayed outstanding qualities of leadership, skill, courage and devotion to duty.' 'Intense fire from local defences was experienced, but these were eventually silenced by the explosion of the tanks and the gun positions became enveloped in flames. His citation reads: 'After identifying the target, he carried out a low-level attack from 100ft obtaining direct hits which set the target ablaze. Gp Capt Collier used himself as bait in a decoy attack, suffering several hits to his aircraft including from a 20mm shell, which allowed other bombers to take out the target. Wg Cdr Gibson said their success caused fires to 'burn for two weeks', and described the raid as 'one of the first attacks of its kind - a special attack trained for by crack crews a completely successful attack planned by men who flew. He earned his first DFC after diving to 100ft to bomb an enemy oil refinery and storage tanks under a gun barrage, completely destroying it. In August 1940, he led a daring attack of five Hampdens on the Dortmund-Ems Canal which could be seen as a 'trial run' for the Dambusters raid two and a half years later. Gp Capt Collier served initially with 83 Squadron, who moved to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, where he met Wg Cdr Gibson. He worked as a land agent before joining the Royal Air Force in 1936. Gp Capt Collier, the son of a wine merchant, was born near Plymouth, Devon, in 1916. 'That he achieved so much, and at such a young age, really speaks volumes.' 'Group Captain "Joe" Collier was an important and very influential figure in the RAF during the Second World War, who showed remarkable skill, courage and determination throughout his career as one of the finest RAF bomber pilots of his day. Now Gp Capt Collier's military accolades - which includes the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Bar and Distinguished Service Order, are going under the hammer at London-based auctioneers Morton and Eden for £30,000.ĭavid Kirk, medal specialist at Morton and Eden, said: 'It is a great privilege for us to be offering such an historic medal group in our forthcoming auction. Both of these daring operations were later immortalised into classic war films The Dam Busters starring Richard Todd and Operation Crossbow.
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