Francis William Costley was born on June 21, 1923, in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine. He was the son of James Edward Costley and Ruth Elsie Shannon Costley. He was married to Grace Louise Andelfinger Marple. He graduated from Senior High School in Utica with the Class of 1941. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces in June 1942 and trained as both an aerial gunner and navigator, earning his silver aerial gunner’s wings at Harlingen Army Air Field in Texas. After completing advanced training, he was assigned to duty in England beginning in September 1943, where he flew combat missions over Germany. He served in the 702nd Bomber Squadron, 445th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator of B-24 #42-100308 nicknamed 'Our Gal' during World War II.

On September 27, 1944, “Our Gal” was lost during the catastrophic Kassel mission over Germany. The aircraft departed RAF Tibenham, England, as part of a formation assigned to bomb the Henschel armored vehicle and industrial works at Kassel. During the approach to the target, navigational errors caused the 445th Bomb Group to drift away from the main bomber stream and lose the protection of its long-range fighter escort. After the bombing run, as the group turned for home, the isolated formation was intercepted by large numbers of German fighters, primarily Fw 190s and Bf 109s, over central Germany, especially around the Werra Valley. The fighters launched repeated close-range attacks that devastated the unescorted bombers. Our Gal was among the Liberators shot down during this intense aerial battle and crashed in Germany.

2Lt Costley was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.rafb24.com, weremember.abmc.gov