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| Captain Lionel Colley served as a B-25 pilot in the 41st Bomb Group. Waco Tribune-Herald, 24 October 1943 https://www.abmc.gov/node/515424 |
Lionel Dewitt Colley never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Lionel was born on September 10, 1919 in Texas. His parents Floyd and Vera were born in Georgia and Alabama, respectively. His father worked as a foreman on a pipeline in Waco, Texas. Lionel had one older brother. I could not find the family in the 1940 census.
He enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in April 1941; his enlistment record indicates he had completed 3 years of college, was single, and had been employed as an actor. He entered the Aviation Cadet program and trained as a pilot, and upon graduation was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. At some point, he married the former Pauline Peevey of Waco, Texas.
Lionel served in the 48th Bombardment Squadron, 41st Bombardment Group, of the 7th Air Force, flying B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. The 41st BG was initially based in Fresno, California assigned to patrol the coastal waters for enemy submarines. It moved from California to Hawaii in October 1943, and two months later moved to Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands.
The group began combat missions in late December 1943 with an attack on Japanese air facilities at Mili Atoll in the Marshall Islands. During the month of January 1944 the 41st BG conducted 215 sorties against the Japanese positions in the Marshall Islands in support of the scheduled invasions of Kwajalein and Eniwetok set for February 1944. In low-level attacks, the B-25s of the 41st effectively raked Japanese installations and shipping. The raids, however, were made at a high cost for the unit as enemy opposition was stiff, and at times as many as 50 enemy fighters rose to challenge the group's formations.
On 26 March 1944, Captain Colley was pilot of B-25G 42-64832, which took off from Eniwetok Airfield on a low level strike against Ponape, Micronesia. Over the target, the aircraft was attacked by a Japanese fighter, which strafed the bomber from nose to tail leaving both engines smoking. The aircraft began losing altitude and made a water landing roughly 15 miles north of Ponape. Several other B-25s circled the crash site and radioed their position to a US Navy PBY Catalina for rescue. Three of the crew were observed in a life raft and three or four men in the water nearby, all wearing their life vests. When the Catalina reached the site of the ditching to search for the crew, it was chased away by three enemy fighters. Another PBY Catalina, with fighter escort, returned later to search for the crew but found nothing. The next day, three B-25s flew a search mission in the area but no sign of the crew was found. The entire crew of seven was officially declared dead on January 19, 1946.
Lionel Dewitt Colley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. His wife remarried after the war and passed away in 2006.
Thank you Captain Colley for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Lionel.
One year before, on the same date as Captain Colley, Robert Miller was born. He served in the 35th Infantry and died in Normandy. You can read about Robert here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
On 26 March 1944, Captain Colley was pilot of B-25G 42-64832, which took off from Eniwetok Airfield on a low level strike against Ponape, Micronesia. Over the target, the aircraft was attacked by a Japanese fighter, which strafed the bomber from nose to tail leaving both engines smoking. The aircraft began losing altitude and made a water landing roughly 15 miles north of Ponape. Several other B-25s circled the crash site and radioed their position to a US Navy PBY Catalina for rescue. Three of the crew were observed in a life raft and three or four men in the water nearby, all wearing their life vests. When the Catalina reached the site of the ditching to search for the crew, it was chased away by three enemy fighters. Another PBY Catalina, with fighter escort, returned later to search for the crew but found nothing. The next day, three B-25s flew a search mission in the area but no sign of the crew was found. The entire crew of seven was officially declared dead on January 19, 1946.
Lionel Dewitt Colley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. His wife remarried after the war and passed away in 2006.
Thank you Captain Colley for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Lionel.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them." One year before, on the same date as Captain Colley, Robert Miller was born. He served in the 35th Infantry and died in Normandy. You can read about Robert here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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