Mystery Solved of Lost Sailor But Others Exist

Article Written by John Davis

Mysteries appear everywhere, if we only notice them. As Sherlock Holmes said, “You see, Watson, but you don’t observe.” How often do we observe what thousands have seen before, but then with a shock of revelation, “See what others have not?” This mystery story began in 1943, and was resolved only recently.

My friend Erich is intrigued by historical mysteries. He happened upon such a story in a Life Magazine from the war year of 1943. It seems a sailor, George Coles, died of natural causes while visiting New York harbor. Let Erich continue this story.

George Herbert Coles served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. He died January 30, 1943 of pneumonia, and lies in an unmarked grave in New York City. He was a sailor whose job was to operate a deck mounted engine, called a ‘donkey’, which moved shipboard cargo. George was a ‘donkeyman.’ Only in the Second World War, such men and their cargo kept Great Britain alive in the fight against Hitler’s Nazis.

But let’s back up.

George Herbert Coles had been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for gallantry at sea for his actions in March, 1942, when his ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic off the east coast of America. This was the third ship to be torpedoed from under him in eleven months.
George reboarded the ship with the captain and helped bring it to port. He is believed to be the first West Australian member of the Merchant Marine to receive the BEM during the war.

His father received a cable saying that he had died while abroad.

On February 22, 1943, a picture was published in Life magazine, entitled ‘Picture of the Week’. The caption states, ‘In the lonely flag-draped casket shown on opposite page lies the body of Merchant Seaman George Coles, 24-year old Australian who died while his ship was in the U.S. There were no friends, no mourners at the Shrine Church of the Sea in New York as a Solemn Mass or Requiem was celebrated by Monsignor John J. O’Donnell. After these rites Coles was buried in the seaman’s plot in Calvary Cemetery, Queens, 11,000 miles from home.’

Jump ahead to about 1987, Kokomo, Indiana [USA]. While out shopping with my wife, we came across a vendor selling old magazines. Two caught my eye and I bought them. At home, thumbing through one, I found the ‘Picture of the Week’. It still looked very lonely, and I wondered about Mr. Coles and his family.

Years went by. I kept returning to that picture. I joined Ancestry.com. I joined Findagrave.com. Then one day I put it together.

In 2013, I contacted a lady who had listed Mr Coles as her uncle in Ancestry. I sent her a question or two. She knew her uncle had died, but didn’t know the circumstances nor where he was buried. No one in the family knew.

I directed her to Findagrave. She had an answer to a family mystery that was unsolved for 70 years. I sent her the Life magazine.

Mr Coles still lies in an unmarked grave at Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens County, New York, USA, Plot: Section 44, Range 6, Plot A, Graves 1 through 32. I was not able to identify the exact plot, or I should say the cemetery personnel were not able too.

There is a marker from the Cunard Lines that identifies three people buried there. I have contacted them, the Australian Embassy, and a few others to possibly have a marker placed for Mr Coles, or his name added to the existing marker. All queries have met with complete silence.

Mr Coles did not die in battle. He still died while serving his country though. Yes, his casket was draped with the US flag when it should have been an Australian flag, or at least the flag of Great Britain.

But to me, that was the first part of forgetting Mr. Coles.

Then there is part two. There were no mourners or friends at his funeral. That is understandable. There was a war on.

Part three – his family didn’t know where he was buried, just somewhere in America.

And part four, there is no marker for his grave.

The worst part is part five. No one seems to care except me and my friend John that Mr Coles is remembered.

Granted, there are tens of thousands of missing who don’t have as much as Mr Coles has.  Mr Coles deserves to be remembered. And as others are identified, as well as their final resting place, they also deserve to be remembered.

Mysteries are still out there, we only need to have eyes to see them. We need to do what we can to solve such mysteries, because we belong to each other.

~Article written by John Davis

Read More from John

John William Davis is a retired US Army counterintelligence officer and linguist. As a linguist, Mr. Davis learned five languages, the better to serve in his counterintelligence jobs during some 14 years overseas. He served in West Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands during the Cold War. There he was active in investigations directed against the Communist espionage services of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. His mission was also to investigate terrorists such as the Red Army Faction in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy, and the Combatant Communist Cells (in Belgium) among a host of others.

His work during the Cold War and the bitter aftermath led him to write Rainy Street Stories, ‘Reflections on Secret Wars, Terrorism, and Espionage’ . He wanted to talk about not only the events themselves, but also the moral and human aspects of the secret world as well. 

 

And now recently published in 2018, John continued his writing with Around the Corner: Reflections on American Wars, Violence, Terrorism, and Hope. 

Two powerful books worth reading.

Read more about them in the following Six Questions:

Six Questions with John Davis: Author of Rainy Street Stories

Six Questions with John Davis: Author of Around the Corner

 

 

 

Best of luck with all that you seek! Always Treasure the Adventure!