JOHN A. COLLETT, LCDR, USN

John Collett '29

Date of birth: March 31, 1908

Date of death: October 26, 1942

Age: 34

Lucky Bag

From the 1929 Lucky Bag:

JOHN AUSTIN COLLETT

Omaha, Nebraska

"Jack" "Glenna"

JACK was born in Nebraska, lived a number of years in Haiti, went to school in Washington, and finally became one of us back in June '25. Being rather young, he started out to demolish all records, scholastic and otherwise; but the steam department prevented him from being a savoir, and his faculty of learning what it is all about showed him how many things there are worth doing. As a result he turned his attention to the Log, class athletics, and the fair femmes. The results speak for themselves in that he has controlled the advertising department of the Log successfully for two years, played soccer and baseball to the extent of class numerals, and appeared at every hop—with a different femme each time.

Being naturally reserved Jack is really known by a few close friends and they have found him easy going, entertaining and ready to help anyone at any time. While he may never achieve his ambition of annexing a Spanish dancer, we would be proud and glad to have him as a shipmate on any old cruise.

Christmas Card Committee 2, 1. Class Baseball 4, 3; 1929. Gymkhana 4. Log Staff 3, 2. Log Board 1. M.P.O.

JOHN AUSTIN COLLETT

Omaha, Nebraska

"Jack" "Glenna"

JACK was born in Nebraska, lived a number of years in Haiti, went to school in Washington, and finally became one of us back in June '25. Being rather young, he started out to demolish all records, scholastic and otherwise; but the steam department prevented him from being a savoir, and his faculty of learning what it is all about showed him how many things there are worth doing. As a result he turned his attention to the Log, class athletics, and the fair femmes. The results speak for themselves in that he has controlled the advertising department of the Log successfully for two years, played soccer and baseball to the extent of class numerals, and appeared at every hop—with a different femme each time.

Being naturally reserved Jack is really known by a few close friends and they have found him easy going, entertaining and ready to help anyone at any time. While he may never achieve his ambition of annexing a Spanish dancer, we would be proud and glad to have him as a shipmate on any old cruise.

Christmas Card Committee 2, 1. Class Baseball 4, 3; 1929. Gymkhana 4. Log Staff 3, 2. Log Board 1. M.P.O.

Loss

Omaha Daily Bee, January 18, 1914

John was lost on October 26, 1942 when his TBF-1 Avenger torpedo bomber was shot down at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. He was commanding officer of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 10, flying from USS Enterprise (CV 6); he had only taken command 10 days earlier.

He was briefly in command of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 3 in January 1942.

His mother was listed as next of kin.

Namesake

"This image is from a photo of VT-10 officers at Kaneohe Bay, Oahu"

USS Collett (DD 730) was named for John; the ship was sponsored by his mother. The commissioning commanding officer was his brother James.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.

July 1929

Ensign, USS Texas

Others at this command: LT Irving Wiltsie '21, ENS Joseph Flynn '27, ENS William Pye, Jr. '28, and ENS Edwin Martin '29.

Others at or embarked at this command: ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet).

October 1929

Ensign, USS Texas

Others at this command: LT Paul Thompson '19, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, ENS Joseph Flynn '27, and ENS Edwin Martin '29.

Others at or embarked at this command: ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet).

January 1930

Ensign, USS Texas

Others at this command: LT Paul Thompson '19, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, ENS Joseph Flynn '27, and ENS Edwin Martin '29.

Others at or embarked at this command: ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet).

April 1930

Ensign, USS Texas

Others at this command: LT Paul Thompson '19, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, and ENS Joseph Flynn '27.

Others at or embarked at this command: ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet).

October 1930

Ensign, under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command: LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16, LT Paul Thompson '19, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23, LTjg Charles McDonald '24, LTjg James McDonough '24, LTjg John Waldron '24, LTjg Richard Moss '24, LTjg Robert Larson '24, 1LT Donald Willis '24, LTjg John Duke '26, LTjg Elmer Cooper '27, LTjg James Averill '27, ENS Carl Lindgren '28, ENS Donald Lovelace '28, ENS Bruce Van Voorhis '29, 2LT Chandler Johnson '29, ENS Egbert Roth '29, ENS Finley Hall '29, ENS Henry Twohy '29, ENS Howard Garner '29, ENS John Yoho '29, ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29, 2LT Raymond Sullivan, Jr. '29, ENS William Oliver '29, and ENS William Arthur '29.

January 1931

Ensign, under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command: LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16, LT Paul Thompson '19, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23, LTjg Charles McDonald '24, LTjg James McDonough '24, LTjg John Waldron '24, LTjg Richard Moss '24, LTjg Robert Larson '24, LTjg John Duke '26, LTjg James Averill '27, LTjg William Potts '27, ENS Carl Lindgren '28, ENS Donald Lovelace '28, ENS Bruce Van Voorhis '29, ENS Clair Miller '29, ENS Egbert Roth '29, ENS Finley Hall '29, ENS Harold MacFarlane '29, ENS Henry Twohy '29, ENS Howard Garner '29, ENS John Bermingham '29, ENS John Yoho '29, ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29, ENS Mathias Wyatt '29, 2LT Raymond Sullivan, Jr. '29, ENS William Pennewill '29, ENS William Oliver '29, and ENS William Arthur '29.

April 1931

Ensign, under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command: LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23, LTjg Charles McDonald '24, LTjg James McDonough '24, LTjg John Waldron '24, LTjg Richard Moss '24, LTjg Robert Larson '24, LTjg John Duke '26, LTjg James Averill '27, LTjg William Potts '27, ENS Carl Lindgren '28, ENS Bruce Van Voorhis '29, ENS Clair Miller '29, ENS Egbert Roth '29, ENS Finley Hall '29, ENS Harold MacFarlane '29, ENS Henry Twohy '29, ENS Howard Garner '29, ENS John Bermingham '29, ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29, ENS Mathias Wyatt '29, 2LT Raymond Sullivan, Jr. '29, ENS William Pennewill '29, ENS William Oliver '29, ENS William Arthur '29, ENS Charles Hart '30, ENS Charles Ostrom '30, ENS Edwin Kelly '30, ENS John Craig '30, ENS Robert Haven '30, and ENS Thomas Marshall, Jr. '30.

July 1931

Ensign, under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command: LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16, LT Irving Wiltsie '21, LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23, LTjg Charles McDonald '24, LTjg James McDonough '24, LTjg Richard Moss '24, LTjg Robert Larson '24, LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26, LTjg Charles Signer '26, LTjg John Duke '26, LTjg William Potts '27, ENS Carl Lindgren '28, ENS Bruce Van Voorhis '29, ENS Clair Miller '29, ENS Egbert Roth '29, ENS Finley Hall '29, ENS Harold MacFarlane '29, ENS Henry Twohy '29, ENS Mathias Wyatt '29, ENS William Pennewill '29, ENS William Oliver '29, ENS Byron Newell '30, ENS Charles Hart '30, ENS Charles Ostrom '30, ENS Edwin Kelly '30, ENS Gilbert Carpenter '30, ENS John Burgess '30, ENS John Craig '30, ENS Robert Haven '30, ENS Robert Coates '30, and ENS Thomas Marshall, Jr. '30.

October 1931

Ensign, Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at this command: LTjg Seymour Johnson '27.

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: LTjg Julian Jordan '25 (USS Chester), LTjg William Hank '25 (USS Chester), and ENS Ford Wallace '31 (USS Chester).

January 1932

Ensign, Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at this command: LTjg Seymour Johnson '27.

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: LTjg William Hank '25 (USS Chester) and ENS Ford Wallace '31 (USS Chester).

April 1932

Ensign, Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at this command: LTjg Seymour Johnson '27.

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: LTjg William Hank '25 (USS Chester) and ENS Ford Wallace '31 (USS Chester).

October 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at this command: LTjg Seymour Johnson '27.

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: ENS John Spiers '32 (USS Chester) and ENS Max Silverstein '32 (USS Chester).

January 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at this command: LTjg Seymour Johnson '27.

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: ENS John Spiers '32 (USS Chester) and ENS Max Silverstein '32 (USS Chester).

April 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at this command: LTjg Seymour Johnson '27.

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: ENS John Spiers '32 (USS Chester) and ENS Max Silverstein '32 (USS Chester).

July 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: CDR Donald Godwin '11 (USS Chester), ENS James Kyes '30 (USS Chester), ENS John Spiers '32 (USS Chester), ENS Max Silverstein '32 (USS Chester), and ENS Reginald Raymond '33 (USS Chester).

October 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S, USS Chester

Others at or embarked at USS Chester: CDR Donald Godwin '11 (USS Chester), ENS James Kyes '30 (USS Chester), ENS John Spiers '32 (USS Chester), ENS Max Silverstein '32 (USS Chester), and ENS Reginald Raymond '33 (USS Chester).