Sgt. Roy F. Coates

Michele,

Mention of your SGT Roy F. Coates, Jr. appears in the following website:


http://www.accident-report.com/Crew_Names/NAME44C.html


USAF Incident and Accident Personnel List - 1944


COATES, ROY F JR


There may possibly be a photograph of him there - but I seriously doubt it - and at approximately $30 to get the accident report sent to you, I would not recommend that you persue it.

I wish I had been able to find more information for your friend and you, but that is all I was albe to locate.

Andy

"It's Never Too Late To Have A Happy Childhood"

Micky,Tell Mr.Biorgili we thank
him for his kindness.I have a
friend whose remains are among
the unknown at the "Florence'
cemetery.

Yunch

Andy,Being a"Damn Yankee" living in
North Carolina with VERY CLOSE ties
to Mass.I picked up the Medford
error right away.You have the
expertise in family research,I think
its'a safe bet to go for it.I use to stay over in Marblehead Mass.with family,when doing business at Medford.

Yunch

Michele,
 
by my information, which I got from 454Bg association and MACR, Sgt. Roy F. Coates was a crew member of B24 H 41-29310 " Dorothy K ", which was shot down in combat with Bf109's over Slovenia. Exact location is some 30km south east of Celje. I found exact crash location and also talked with local people who still remembers that day and foun out that only one crew member bailed out from the bomber and was later killed by German police. All crew members were first buried in the village Pilstanj.  
Also I found out that at the same time at almost same place Bf109 was shot down ( there are still some remains of aircraft ) which I assume can be credited to the crew of " Dorothy K ".
I am trying to find a picture of airplane but by now there wasn't any luck.
 
Tomaz 

Hello Michelle!
 
See my topic!
 
http://forum.armyairforce...n-1931944-m194135.aspx
 
Can you send me a picture of Roy F. Coates grave!?
 
Thank you!
 
M.

Re: JD Green, USAAF, 15th AF, 454th Bomb Group, 738th Bomb Squad, B24H Liberator Bomber the “Dorothy K”
Cathy, 
I have searched for many years for someone related to the crew members that were on the “Dorothy K.”  As you know it went down in combat and crashed near Pilstanj, Yugoslavia, March 19th, 1944. I have a few photos I would like to share with relatives of these boys. My uncle, JD Green, was a waist gunner on the B24H when it went down. My grandmother gave me photos that he had sent her. He was her oldest son. I do not have a photo of a plane that has “Dorothy K” written on it, but I do have photos of planes with numbers. These may have been taken during training and not in Italy. Let me know if you are interested.
BJ Harper
 

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have finally gotten my hands on the scrapbook I mentioned.  Unfortunately it did not include any pictures of the plane or crew members.  The only picture I have is one of my uncle holding a gun.  I will try to figure out how to scan it in.  The scrapbook had a couple pieces of v-mail, a censored letter and then a series of wires and letters that deal with the missing in action and death of my uncle. In the v-mail he talked of one his missions. (Please note XXXX indicates spots where the censor cut out pieces from the letter.)  ""we were told to fly no. 2 position in the second element.  A short while after we got off we had a rendevous with our pursuit escort.  XXXXX and they accompanied us over the target and back.  We were apprehensive as hell all the way.  Looking for trouble but nothing happened.  We hit our target on time & blew it to pieces.  I had a nice ringside sear in my turret.  XXXXX bombs landed on the outer boarder of the field hitting a lot of revetements but the whole place was blanketed with bomb craters & fires as we pulled away from the target."   In his v-mail he mentions  that " Today is Sunday & I went to Mass & communion.  The priest was the one from Medford I told you about him in my last letter.  Stack & I have been going every Sun. & Wed. & hope to continue."  Another v-mail says "Tonite we were over to the chiefs tent listening to the Sally & George, a couple of Nazi propagandists.  Sally is the star of the program & George is straight man.  They have some ridiculous stories but at times their sources of info aren't too far wrong.  Anyway they play some good American swing records.  Elfrink had some fruit cake his mother sent & boy it was good & reminded me of some cake you used to make with a gingerbread flavor."  The first Western Union telegram dated April 11th (1944) states the my uncle Sargeant Roy F. Coates has been reported missing in action since nineteen March over Yugoslavia.  The next telegram dated July 31 states " Report received from the German government through the International Red Cross" was killed in action.  A series of letter from the Army Air Force Headquarters continue for years.  Roy's mother also received a letter from Byron Howes' father.  It was sad to read how he too was trying to desperately get information about their plane.  I remember my father saying that my grandmother was never sure that Roy had died.  She would get conflicting information that the plane went down, that a parachute was seen, or that the plane was not known to crash nor were any parachutes sighted.  A letter from March 19, 1946 states "his B-24 (Liberator) bomber crashed as a result of enemy aircraft fire.  These reports further state that his body was recovered near Saalenburg, Yugoslavia (46 degrees 9' N - 15 degrees 30' E), and was interred in the Cemetery of Suessenheim, Saalenburg Community.   It wasn't until a letter from May 16, 1949 that my grandmother finally received a definitive letter that remains were identified as my uncle Roy based on "the favorable comparison of tooth charts" and "Further, a raincoat bearing your son's name was found  with the remains of the deceased upon their original recovery".  It took 5 years to be sure that Roy was dead.  I know my grandmother always held out hope that he was still alive.  How sad for her, my grandfather, my Great Aunt Kit (who lived with them)  and all of the family.  Roy had 3 sisters and 2 brothers.  I heard that he was in love and I am not sure if he was engaged or not.  He could have a very full life with a large extended family.  
I will continue to try to find pictures and more information.  Let me know if you find anything....
Thanks
Cathy Miko

This is my uncle Sargeant Roy F. Coates of the 738 Bomber Squadron, 454th Group.  He was from Medford, Massachusetts and was reported Missing in Action on March 19, 1944 when his B-24 (Liberator) was shot down over Yugoslavia.

This is my uncle Sargeant Roy F. Coates of the 738 Bomber Squadron, 454th Group.  He was from Medford, Massachusetts and was reported Missing in Action on March 19, 1944 when his B-24 (Liberator) was shot down over Yugoslavia. 
 
I hope you can see his picture this time!

Please refer to the topic post stream "Crew infom B-24, serial 41-29310 "Dorothy K", 454 BG, 738 BS by obivankinobi".  You will see a response by RSwank:
MACR  3466 for 41-29310 on footnote.com seems to list the entire crew listed KIA on the final page 19. 
The formation was attacked by ME 109s.   Dorothy K had the number 2 engine on fire after an attack by 3 
fighters.  The wing seemed to melt away according the witness statements.  The target that day was 
Steyr Austria. 
Crew List: 
Pilot:  Lysle William Elfrink 
CP:  Glen K Edwards 
Nav: Byron Cole Howes 
Bomb: Harold Franz Stevens 
Radio:  Harold Peskin 
John Bystrak 
J D Green 
William Thomas Stack 
Roy Francis Coates, Jr 
William Wiley Gaines 
 
I have seen a few of these names before so I assume the list is correct.  You will also find interesting information and a photo regarding captured Americans on this date.  Maybe it is your friend or his crew mates?  Take a look around this site and if you find anything regarding Roy Coates, the Dorothy K or his crew mates - please share.
 
I am glad to see someone else is fascinated by this compelling story and time in our history.  
God bless Warren, my uncle and all their fellow American heroes.
Thanks
Cathy