William J Coles Jr

Military
media-6763.png UPL 6763 A crashed B-17 Flying Fortress (FR-C, serial number 42-38183) nicknamed "The Lost Angel" 525BS/379BG [FR-C] Kimbolton 10/2/44; then 524BS [WA-G] ; flak battle damaged, crash landed after bombing Magdeburg Germany 28/9/44. Flack came through the windshield and glass got into the eyes of Pilot: Stan Bailey, Co-pilot: Sumner Alpert flew the plane back with 2 engines out on one wing to Kimbolton, received the DFC, Navigator: Jim Rung, Bombardier: Bill Coles, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Plough, Radio Operator: Harry Gates, Ball turret gunner: John Ingram, Waist gunner: Frank Culfe (8 Returned to Duty);Tail gunner: Phil Maniaci (Prisoner of War); Missing Air Crew Report 9363; repaired & sal re-ass 482BG, then 384BG 1/6/45. THE LOST ANGEL.

Brad Alpert, son of Sumner Alpert

Object Number - UPL 6763 - A crashed B-17 Flying Fortress (FR-C, serial number 42-38183) nicknamed "The Lost Angel" 525BS/379BG [FR-C] Kimbolton 10/2/44; then 524BS [WA-G] ;...

Crash Landed in A/C #42-38183 on 28 September 1944. Evaded enemy with aid of Belgian resistance and Returned to duty. Plane was hit by flak and caught on fire. The tail gunner bailed out but the rest of the crew stayed with the plane and rode it down.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Lost Angel
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 482nd Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron 525th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pipe Dream
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Etna, Pennsylvania 3 August 1920

Died

17 November 1997

Buried

Blanding, Utah

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Information provided by user 'cody1947' on this record: https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/12879
'Personal remembrances and journal entries of S/Sgt William J. Coles, Jr., Tail Gunner of the 524th BS of the 379th Bombardment Group. He flew missions with the 524th Bomb Squadron from 9/13/44 to 1/1/45. He also flew in different positions: Nose Togglier (Bombardier), Radio Operator/Gunner, and Waist Gunner, but flew most of his missions in the Tail Gunner's position.'

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 9363

William J Coles: Gallery (1 items)