Coles, William John, CMSgt

Deceased

Service Photo

Service Details

Last Rank
Chief Master Sergeant

Last Primary AFSC/MOS
60790-Aircraft Loadmaster Superintendent

Last AFSC Group
Air Operations

Primary Unit
1971-1971, 60790, 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron

Service Years
1942 - 1971

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Pennsylvania

Year of Birth
1920

This Military Service Page was created/owned by Toni Turk-Family to remember Coles, William John, CMSgt.

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Contact Info

Home Town Etna, Allegheny, Pennsylvania	Last Address Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Date of Passing Dec 17, 1997
Location of Interment Blanding City Cemetery - Blanding, Utah

Official Badges

Air Training Command Master Instructor (post-1967)

Air Training Command Master Instructor (pre-1966)

Unofficial Badges

Military Associations and Other Affiliations

Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA)


	1948, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), Post 2147, James King Jr. Post (Wichita Falls, Texas) - Chap. Page
	1971, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Chapter 41 (Wichita Falls, Texas) - Chap. Page
	1971, Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA) - Assoc. Page
	1973, Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), AFSA 1054 (Sheppard AFB, Texas) - Chap. Page
	2012, Blanding Veterans Memorial - Assoc. Page

Additional Information

Last Known Activity:

Died Dec 17, 1997 - Salt Lake City, UT; buried Blanding, UT

Other Comments:

William Coles attained the following ranks: Aviation Cadet - 2 Mar 1943; Aviation Cadet (Sergeant) - 10 May 1943; Private - 23 Jun 1943; PFC - 13 Jul 1943; Corporal - 21 Feb 1944; Sergeant - 29 Jul 1944; Staff Sergeant - 28 Aug 1944;Tech Sergeant - 1 Jan 1945; Master Sergeant - 1 Apr 1952; Senior Master Sergeant - 1 Mar 1961; Chief Master Sergeant - 1 Apr 1964

William Coles was a crew member on the following aircraft: A-26, AC-130E, AT-6, B-17 (E, F, G), B-24D, B-25, B-26, B-29, B-32, B-36, B-47, B-50, C-7, C-45, C-46, C-47, C-47A, C-54 (D, G), C-74, C-118, C-119 (C, CF, F, G, J), C-121, C-122, C-123B, C-124, C-130 (A, B, E), C-133 (A, B), C-141, CL-44, H-21, HH-53, KB-50, KC-97 (E, F, G), KC-135, L-20, O-5, O-19, PT-17, T-29, XC-99

William Coles served in the following military units:

Enlisted Reserve Unit - 28 Aug 1942-3 Mar 1943

Nashville AAFCC, Nashville, TN Mar-Apr 1943

Maxwell Field, AL - Pre-Flight (pilot) - May-Jun 1943

Camden, SC - Primary Flight (pilot) - Jun-Jul 1943

Sioux Falls, SD - Radio Operator & Mechanic Jul-Dec 1943

Yuma AAF, Yuma, AZ - 306th SEFTG (Aerial Gunnery) - Dec 1943-Feb 1944

Rapid City, SD - R.T.U. - Feb-May 1944

Kimbolton RAF, England - APO 557, 524th Bombardment Squadron [Jul 1944]; 379th Bombardment Group (H) - Aug 1944-Jan 1945

Laredo AAF, Laredo, TX - Central School for Flexible Gunnery; 524th Bombardment Squadron - Mar-Sep 1945

USAF Reserve - 18 Jan 1949-1 Apr 1952 [Called to Active Duty - 11 Feb 1951]

Lowry AFB, Denver, CO - 3415th Technical Training Wing; 3415th Aircraft Gunnery Group; 3435th Training Squadron (NCOIC B-29 Gunnery Training; Academic Section) - Apr 1951 to Dec 1953 (TDY - NE: Offutt AFB; TX: Kelly AFB, Matagorda Island, Port O'Connor)

Donaldson AFB, Greenville, SC - Fourth Aerial Port Operations Squadron, (TAC) - Jan 1954-May 1954 (TDY - SC: Charleston AFB)

Chateauroux AB, France - APO 10, Fourth Aerial Port Operations Sq, TAC (NCOIC Operations and Training Section; Transportation Services; Combat Operations) - May 1954-May 1957 (TDY - Algeria; Denmark: Copenhagen; England: Fairford AB, Lyneham RAF, Old Sarum RAF, Salisbury, Wiltshire RAF; France: Deols AB, Dreux-Senonches, Evreux-Fauville AB, Paris, Toul Rosiere AB; French Morocco: Nouasseur AFLD; Germany: Aschaffenburg, Bitburg AB, Hahn AB, Landstuhl AB, Ramstein AFB, Rhein-Main AB, Wiesbaden AB; Greece: Athens; Italy: Brindisi, Rome; Libya: Wheelus AFLD [Tripoli]; Portugal; Spain: Madrid; Turkey; Yugoslavia)

Chanute AFB, Rantoul, IL - 3499th Mobile Training Wing; 3493rd Field Training Squadron; 3497th Mobile Training Squadron - Jun 1957-Aug 1957 (TDY - OR: Portland; WA: Seattle)

Sewart AFB, Smyrna, TN - [Detached from Chanute] 304th Field Training Detachment; C130-2 Mobile Training Detachment; 2nd Aerial Port Sq - Aug 1957-Aug 1958 (TDY - CA: McClellan AFB; CO: Lowry AFB; GA: Robins AFB; KY: Campbell AFB; NC: Pope AFB, Seymour-Johnson AFB; TX: Foster AFB; UT: Hill AFB; WA: Larson AFB)

MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL - [Detached from Chanute] 311 Field Training Detachment; 306th Air Refueling Sq (SAC) - Aug 1958-Jul 1959 (TDY - GA: Hunter AFB)

Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX - Sheppard Technical Training Center (ATC) - 3764th School Squadron; 3772nd Sq - Jul 1959-Oct 1961 (TDY - AZ: Douglas, Phoenix; CA: Beale AFB, Castle AFB, Long Beach AFB, March AFB, McClellan AFB, Ontario International Airport, Travis AFB; FL: McCoy AFB, Tyndall AFB; GA: Hunter AFB, Moody AFB; HI: Hickam AFB; IL: Chanute AFB, O'Hare International, Scott AFB; IN: Bunker Hill AFB; KS: McConnell AFB; MI: Kinchloe AFB, MO: Malden AB, Richards-Gebaur AFB; NC: Douglas Municipal Airport, Pope AFB; NE: Lincoln AFB; NM: Kirtland AFB; NV: Nellis AFB; SC: Charleston AFB, Donaldson AFB; TX: Amarillo AFB, Carswell AFB, Connally AFB, Dyess AFB, Ellington AFB, Kelly AFB, Randolph AFB, Reese AFB; UT: Hill AFB, Salt Lake City; VA: Langley AFB; WA: McChord AFB, Paine AFB, SEA-TAC International Airport; WI: Truax Field *** Japan: Tachikawa AB; Midway Island; Okinawa: Kadena AB; Wake Island).

Chateauroux AS, France - APO 10, 1616th Support Squadron (MATS) - Nov 1961-Jul 1962 (TDY - Germany: Rhein- Main; Evreux-Fauville AB, France - APO 253, 5th Aerial Port Squadron, 322nd Air Division; 317 Combat Support Group - Jul 1962-Aug 1963 (TDY - DC: Washington; TX: Kelly AFB, Sheppard AFB *** France: Chateauroux AS; Germany: Berlin, Wiesbaden; India: Palam AF [New Delhi]; Italy: Aviano; Libya; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Turkey: Adana).

Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX - 3769th School Squadron; 3750th Technical School; 3773rd School Squadron; 3782nd Instructors Squadron (ATC) - Aug 1963-Apr 1971 (TDY - AZ: Davis-Monthan, Williams AFB; CA: Alameda NAS, Beale AFB, George AFB, Hamilton AFB, Los Alamitos NAS, Los Angeles International, Mather AFB, McClellan AFB, Norton AFB, Ontario International Airport, Travis AFB; CO: Buckley ANG; CT: Bradley Field; DE: Dover AFB; FL: Homestead AFB, Pensacola NAS; GA: Hunter AFB, Moody AFB, Robins AFB, Turner AFB; HI: Hickam AFB; ID: Mountain Home; IL: Chanute AFB; IN: Grissom AFB; KS: Boeing-Wichita; MA: Logan Airport - Boston; MD: Andrews AFB; ME: Loring AFB; MS: Keesler AFB; ND: Minot AFB; NE: Offutt AFB; NJ: Atlantic City Airport, McGuire AFB; NM: Cannon AFB, Kirtland AFB; NV: Stead AFB; NY: New York NAS, Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, Stewart AFB; OH: Clinton Co. AFB, Lockbourne AFB, Patterson AFB; OK: Tinker AFB; SC: Charleston AFB, Shaw AFB; TX: Bergstrom AFB, Carswell AFB, Kelly AFB, Randolph AFB, Reese AFB, Webb AFB; UT: Hill AFB; VA: Langley AFB; WA: McChord AFB *** Japan: Yokota AB; Philippines: Clark AB; Vietnam: DaNang AB; Wake Island).

Little Rock AFB, Jacksonville, AR - 64th Tactical Airlift Training Wing; 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron (TAC) - Apr 1971-Aug 1971.

Spouse: Margaret Arminta (Peggy) Shea
Parents: William John Coles & Irene Barbara Schneider (Snyder)

Operation New Tape (Congo)
From Month/Year August / 1960	To Month/Year September / 1960
Description Unlike the Berlin Airlift, Operation New Tape required C-124 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules’ launches from several points throughout the world into numerous terminals within Africa. UN soldiers from countries including Sweden, Ireland, Ethiopia, India, Morocco and Pakistan had to be transported quickly and safely to the African heartland. Many of these troops were unfamiliar with modern air transport and most were leaving home for the first time. Apart from the language barrier, almost all of them presented racial and cultural problems sometimes outpaced by US Air Force policy and planning which was normally available for airlift support operations. Sanitary conditions became a matter of grave concern. UN soldiers from the African countries were entirely unfamiliar with in-flight lavatory conveniences. Disinfecting the aircraft at the end of a long flight became the unpleasant task performed by the aircrew. To better illustrate Operation New Tape, lets go through a typical C-124 Globemaster mission to the Congo—Trip Number 227: This particular mission involved the airlift of Pakistani troops and their equipment from Karachi to Leopoldville. First it was necessary to obtain diplomatic clearance to over-fly and transient various countries en-route. A support team was deployed to Karachi which, with teams already in place at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Khartoum, Sudan and Leopoldville, handled the ground support function for the mission. The plan called for the aircraft to depart Chateauroux Air Base, France as to arrive at Karachi at a specific time to meet the UN requirements. Leaving Chateauroux, the crew flew for 14 hours direct to Dhahran where they crew rested for 15 hours. The next leg, 9 hours duration, took them to Karachi. The Pakistani troops, wearing berets and field packs, boarded the airplane with carbines and automatic weapons and with gear necessary for the long stay they would have in the Congo. After a three hour ground time, Trip Number 227 was again airborne with its contingent of passengers heading back to Dhahran for crew rest and aircraft servicing. The next segment of the flight, Dhahran to Khartoum, took seven hours. At Khartoum the plane spent minimum ground time for inspection and servicing. Nine hours after leaving Khartoum the airplane arrived at Leopoldville where the Pakistani troops and their gear were offloaded. The crew spent its crew rest at Lovanium University in Leopoldville in dormitories vacated by the Belgian students and professors when they fled the country following its independence. With Leopoldville now behind them their next stop is Kano, Nigeria for a minimum ground time refueling stop. The town of Kano is hundreds of years old and is surrounded by a wall 40 feet thick and in some places 50 feet high. Kano had always been a big trading center and a junction point for the old caravan routes. After twelve more hours in the air, with a refueling stop at Wheelus Air Base in Libya, the crew was back in Chateauroux having traveled more than 13,000 miles and logging 57 flying hours with an elapsed time of six days. Congo Trip Number 227 was now over. The positioning of the initial cadres of UN troops and equipment was accomplished by September 1960 and operations decreased. During the next year the Congo Airlift was handled almost solely by the 15th, 20th and 31st Air Transport Squadrons of the 1607th Air Transport Wing (Dover AFB), assigned temporary duty with the Provisional Squadron at Chateauroux, France. In September 1961, operational control reverted back to MATS and USAFE and the provisional squadron was disbanded. All aircraft would now be scheduled from their home bases and the first such mission departed Dover on October 12, 1961. Virtually all airlift was provided by the C-124 up until the end of 1961, when the Naval Transport Wing at McGuire AFB, New Jersey entered the operation with their C-118s. Other aircraft types entered New Tape as requirements dictated and facilities became available. On January 10, 1962, a cargo mission requirement sent five C-133 Cargomasters to Stockholm, Sweden and then on to Leopoldville. In 1962, the UN requested the use of the C-135 Stratolifter jet aircraft to be used in troop rotation. On October 10, 1962 a MATS C-135 departed Stockholm on its first Congo airlift mission. The flight stopped at Wheelus Air Base on the south bound leg; future stops were found to be unnecessary due to the aircraft’s extended range. Several days and up to 30 hours of flying time were cut off of this 5,000 mile trip. One C-135 returned to McGuire AFB nonstop from Leopoldville setting a new un-refueled distance record. There was a marked increase in MATS activities in April 1963 with a general reduction of UN forces in the Congo. Eighty eight MATS aircraft were involved with the C-130Es being used for the first time in the operation. These C-130s and the C-135s were used for the long distance flights whereas the C-124s shuttled troops and equipment to the on-load stations. In late December 1963 MATS crews began the roll-up of Operation New Tape. On January 3, 1964, a C-135 departed Leopoldville and onboard were Indian troops returning to Bombay. This mission concluded 3½ years of MATS’ participation in Operation New Tape. Epilogue During the airlift, MATS transports flew 2,310 missions, airlifting 63,884 personnel plus 37,202,000 pounds of cargo from 33 different countries. In so doing, the aircraft and crews covered 25½ million miles along some of the world’s most isolated air routes.

My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year August / 1960	To Month/Year September / 1960

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020

Personal Memories

My Photos From This Battle or Operation

No Available Photos