Capt. Chester E. Coggeshall Jr.


(F. Birtciel)

Capt. Chester E. Coggeshall Jr.

343rd FS - 11 January 1944 - 16 April 1945 (Killed in Action)

Assigned Aircraft

P-51D CY-T 44-15608 "Cape Cod Express" (F. Birtciel)
Mission History

2 Tours
Mission List

Not Known
Air Scores 0-0-0
Ground Scores 1-0
Score Detail 16 April 1945  FW-190 destroyed (ground) Ainring Airfield
Notes Entered service from Hyannis, Massachusetts
ASN - 0-754471
11 January 1944 - Joined the 343rd Fighter Squadron
March 1944 - Promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant
April 1944 - Awarded Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
May 1944 - Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
May 1944 - Awarded Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
30 August 1944 - Ended first tour of duty

MACR No. 13866
16 April was scheduled to be Capt. Coggeshall's last mission on his second tour.
1/Lt. Walter Strauch reported: "I was flying Tudor Red three on April 16, 1945, on an escort and strafing mission. We dove down to strafe an airfield west of Salzburg (Austria) and when we pulled up to about 1,000 feet I noticed Red Leader, Capt. Coggeshall, making a very gentle turn to the left and losing altitude. I immediately started over toward him and noticed his airplane was covered in oil, and about this time he made a fast belly landing, dug a wing in, and cartwheeled. I went back to investigate and saw where the plane had hit a small brick building. There was no fire but the airplane was completely demolished."
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble

Capt. Coggeshall is buried at Long Island Cemetery, Framlingdale, New York.
Memories 'Coggy was killed on the last scheduled mission of his second tour. He was leading Red Flight strafing an airfield near Salzburg and destroyed the 190 above. He was hit by flak and bellied in crashing through a building and the airplane was demolished. It was reported that he survived the crash, but was hung by civilians who were in turn hung during the Nurnberg Trials. Believe it or not, he had flown two tours and had not seen an enemy plane in the air. A good high school quarterback and a good pilot. He was highly thought of by all.' (Frank Birtciel)
  Additonal Photo (F. Birtciel)
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