Remains of US Airman Identified in WWII Aircraft Wreckage After 80 Years
Remains of US Airman Identified in WWII Aircraft Wreckage After 80 Years
The remains of WWII US airman Robert T. McCollum, a 22-year-old from Cleveland, have been officially identified in the aircraft wreckage nearly 80 years after he was killed in action.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) confirmed his identification on Dec. 10, 2024, and announced the news on Feb. 26.
McCollum was an 8th Air Force bombardier, assigned to the 565th Bombardment Squadron. On June 20, 1944, he was aboard a B-24J “Liberator” bomber when his aircraft collided with another B-24 during a mission over the Baltic Sea near Denmark.
The pilot and co-pilot managed to escape, but reports indicate that the rest of the crew, including McCollum, did not survive. The U.S. War Department declared him dead on June 21, 1945.
Search efforts and discovery
Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) launched an investigation into the crash but found no trace of the missing crew. Over the next several years, unidentified remains that washed ashore near the crash site were examined but could not be linked to McCollum or his fellow airmen. On May 12, 1950, officials classified him as non-recoverable.
In 2019, Danish divers discovered a World War II-era aircraft wreck in the same area where McCollum’s plane went down.
Among the recovered items was a .50 caliber machine gun with a partially legible serial number matching those from McCollum’s bomber. The discovery led to a renewed investigation of the site.
NEW: WWII airman from the 8th Air Force accounted for after 80 years.
22 year old Lt. Robert McCollum was aboard a B-24 when his aircraft collided midair with another B-24 & crashed into the Baltic Sea.
He will be laid to rest in San Jose, CA at a later date.
pic.twitter.com/PsOQuCRgCz
— J&L Historical (@Jason_R_Burt) March 1, 2025
In August 2021, after clearing the area of unexploded ordnance, University of Delaware and the Royal Danish Navy researchers conducted an underwater survey. The findings included possible human remains and enough material evidence to recommend a full excavation.
Remains of US Airman Identified in WWII Aircraft Wreckage
Between 2022 and 2024, teams from Trident Archäologie, Wessex Archaeology, the Royal Danish Navy, and the Langelands Museum carried out multiple excavations.
Volunteers from Project Recover also assisted in the efforts. The teams uncovered human remains, personal belongings, and two crew members’ ID tags, all of which were sent to the DPAA laboratory for further analysis.
Scientists used dental records, bone analysis, and personal effects to confirm McCollum’s identity. DNA experts from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System performed genetic testing to match his remains.
McCollum’s name is inscribed on the Wall of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England, alongside other service members who remain unaccounted for from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to signify that he has been found.
He will be buried in San Jose, California, on a date yet to be determined.