Wilfred Albert Coady (1919 - 1942)

Born 3 Dec 1919 in Massachusetts, United States

Died 30 Jan 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

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Biography

Wilfred Albert Coady, sometimes spelled Cody, was born in 1919 in Massachusetts, the son of Francis and Josephine (Murphy) Coady. After he was born, Wilfred and his brother lived with their parents at the home of their maternal grandfather, John Murphy, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[1] He grew up with 6 siblings: John, Ralph, Mary, Theresa, Walter and James. By 1930, the family lived in Somerville, Massachusetts and his father was a foreman at the rubber works.^[2]

The Annual Reports records of Somerville show that he graduated from Southern Junior High School in 1934^[3] and from Western Junior High School in Somerville in 1935.^[4]

At the time of the 1940 census, he was already a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and was serving aboard the cutter, Duane in Charlestown, Massachusetts.^[5] He continued to serve after the United States entered World War II, with the rank of Fireman 1st Class. Wilfred was aboard the USS Wakefield, which was refueling in Singapore, when a Japanese bomb struck the ship, killing four Coast Guardsmen, including Wilfred, on January 30, 1942.^[6] He was buried at sea. His name is on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.^[7] His name is also inscribed on a memorial dedicated to local residents who died during World War II located at the Veterans Cemetery in Somerville, as "William A. Cody".

Sources

1. ↑ 1920 Census: "United States Census, 1920"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T625; Line: 100; Digital film/folder number: 004966085; FHL microfilm: 1820707; Image number: 646; Sheet number: 13; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01869-6
   FamilySearch Record: MXB2-8KN (accessed 24 October 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GRNG-Z5T
   Wilfred Coady (0), single grandchild, in household of John Murphy (56) in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Born in Massachusetts.
2. ↑ 1930 Census: "United States Census, 1930"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T626; Line: 95; Digital film/folder number: 004951109; FHL microfilm: 2340663; Image number: 585; Sheet number: 7; Sheet letter: B; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N03855-3
   FamilySearch Record: XQPG-4QZ (accessed 24 October 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GRHH-737
   Wilfred A Cody (10), single son, in household of Francis P Cody (40) in Somerville, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Born in Massachusetts.
3. ↑ Annual Report of the City of Somerville, for the year 1934, p. 273
4. ↑ Annual Report of the City of Somerville, for the year 1935, p. 341
5. ↑ 1940 Census: "United States Census, 1940"
   citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 75; Digital film/folder number: 005460931; Image number: 44; Sheet number: 12; Sheet letter: B
   FamilySearch Record: K4JX-F77 (accessed 24 October 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9M1-3VVH
   Wilfred A Coady (20), single enlisted soldier, in household of Wilfred A Coady (20) in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States. Born in Massachusetts.
6. ↑ Thiesen, W. H. (2022, February 4). The Long Blue Line: 1942-Coast Guard’s history making year 80 years ago! United States Coast Guard. https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/2913912/the-long-blue-line-1942coast-guards-history-making-year-80-years-ago/
7. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #56759535 (accessed 24 October 2023)
   Memorial page for F1 Wilfred Albert Coady (3 Dec 1919-30 Jan 1942), citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines (plot: Tablets of the Missing - US Coast Guard)