[Jerry D. Collinsworth oral history interview]

Fighter ace Jerry D. Collinsworth discusses his military service with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot and his time in Europe and North Africa with the 307th Fighter Squadron of the 31st Fighter Group. Special focus on several combat missions, including his first aerial victory in February 1943 and a mission on March 8, 1943 in which he downed a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 that had just shot down his squadron mate.

Jerry D. Collinsworth was born on December 23, 1919 in Dublin, Texas. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in August 1941 and graduated from flight school the following year. He served with the 307th Fighter Squadron of the 31st Fighter Squadron in Europe and North Africa from 1942 to 1943, then returned to the United States to serve as a flight instructor. After a brief postwar stint with United Air Lines, he rejoined the Air Force in 1947. His subsequent assignments included commanding the 66th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, serving as Director of Operations of the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, and serving as base commander in Arizona and Thailand. He retired as a colonel in October 1967 and passed away in 2010.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.