William Francis Coll (1917 - 1943)

Born 9 May 1917 in McAdoo, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, United States

Died 1 Aug 1943 at age 26 in Ploiești, Prahova, Romania

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Biography

William Coll was awarded the Purple Heart.

William Coll was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States).

William Coll was awarded the Air Medal.

Tech Sergeant William Coll served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: 13 Jan 1942
Unit(s): 66th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group, Ninth Air Force and 63rd Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force
Service ended: 1 Aug 1943

Tech Sergeant William Coll was killed in action when the bomber he was the Engineer on was shot down on a raid in Ploesti, Rumania. during World War II.

William was born 9 May 1917 in McAdoo, Pennsylvania. He was the son James Coll and Hannah Kelly

William was the Engineer of the B-24 Liberator bomber, Scrappy II (#42-40375-G) participating in Operation Tidal Wave the low-level attack on the Romanian oil refineries at Ploesti on 1 August 1943. The plane did not return from the mission. All on board perished.

Find A Grave: Memorial #34737656

Sources

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• National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Pennsylvania, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 446. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Ancestry Record 2238 #7231084
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMFG-WFZ : 5 December 2014), William F Coll, enlisted 13 Jan 1942, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• Located at Biloxi Field, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 27 Jan 1942, Tue • Page 4
• Elevated to Corporal, The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 25 May 1942, Mon • Page 4
• Elevated in Army, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 09 Jun 1942, Tue • Page 2
• M’ADOO SOLDIER GETS PROMOTION, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 28 Sep 1942, Mon • Page 12
• McAdoo Flier Given Medal, The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 05 May 1943, Wed • Page 10
• M’ADOO AVIATOR MISSING IN ACTION, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 21 Aug 1943, Sat • Page 19
• Flier’s Medals Given Mother, The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 27 Dec 1943, Mon • Page 11
• Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Pennsylvania (State). World War II Veterans Compensation Applications, circa 1950s. Records of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Record Group 19, Series 19.92 (877 cartons). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ancestry Record 3147 #870589
• Ancestry.com. U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Interment Control Forms, 1928–1962. Interment Control Forms, A1 2110-B. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774–1985, Record Group 92. The National Archives at College Park, College Park, Maryland. Ancestry Record 2590 #2209251
• Airman from McAdoo lost his life in 1943 raid, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 08 Oct 2000, Sun • Page 25