George Demeter Colchagoff
Military
USAF Photo
Object Number - UPL 53742 - Col George Colchagoff upon his retirement.
Pilot B-24 41-23733 'Skipper' flew on 1st Aug 43 low level Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C developed mechanical problems and had to abort the mission. Captain later Colonel, Colchagoff was a career USAAF officer.
Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), AF commendation, WWII Victory, EAME.
Post War: Served in USAF in Korean and Vietnam conflicts rising to rank of Colonel.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Skippy Skipper
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Toledo, OH | 4 May 1919 | Son of Demeter George and Evanka V [Evanova] Colchagoff. |
|
Enlisted |
Toledo, OH | 14 August 1941 | Toledo, Ohio |
|
Other Survived Ploesti |
Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 | Flew on 1st Aug 43 low level Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C developed a fuel leak and had to abort the mission. |
|
Other Retired USAF |
28 February 1966 | Retired as a Colonel in USAF. | |
|
Died |
9 October 1994 | ||
|
Buried |
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego San Diego County CA | 12 October 1994 | Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego San Diego County California, USA. |
|
Based Assigned |
Benina | Assigned to 344BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. | |
|
Other Biography |
"In the interests of being complete, there was a fifth Toledoan who took part in flying this mission; Captain George Colchagoff. Captain Colchagoff was a native Toledoan, having grown up the son of Bulgarian immigrants at 217 Worthington St., just north of Waite High School on the east side. He graduated from Waite High School (class of 1937), and the University of Toledo. He worked for the Associated Press in the Toledo Blade office before enlisting as an aviation cadet on August 14, 1941 (age 22) in Toledo. He went overseas with the 98th Bomb Group in late 1942, flying 37 missions during his tour, the last of which was against Ploesti. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a June 13, 1943 mission against Catania when he brought his heavily damaged B-24 back to base with only two engines. Colchagoff became a life long Air Force officer, retiring as a Colonel. He was a project officer for matters related to early space flight and was elected a Fellow of the American Rocket Society, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1960. He died in California in 1994." Dan Masters, "Dragged Through the Mouth of Hell: Toledo's Contribution to Operation Tidal Wave, August 1, 1943," Northwest Ohio History Journal, Vol. 84, No. 1 (October 6, 2016). |
Revisions
Dan Masters, "Dragged Through the Mouth of Hell: Toledo's Contribution to Operation Tidal Wave, August 1, 1943," Northwest Ohio History Journal, Vol. 84, No. 1 (October 6, 2016).
Dan Masters, "Dragged Through the Mouth of Hell: Toledo's Contribution to Operation Tidal Wave, August 1, 1943," Northwest Ohio History Journal, Vol. 84, No. 1 (October 6, 2016).
