100th Aero Squadron - Private

BODIES OF 2 WAR DEAD ON WAY TO STANISLAUS

The bodies of two of the victims of the great Tuscania disaster in 1918, which resulted in the loss of many brave American soldiers who were natives of Stanislaus County, have arrived in Hoboken and are now on their way to the Oakland mole where they will lie in state with thirteen other flag draped bodies there Friday. Stanley L. Collins of Knights Ferry and Bert O. Weeks are the dead heroes. Both were members of the 100th aero squadron and were on their way to England for training when the ill-fated Tuscania was torpedoed off the Irish coast.

Stanley L. Collins was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest C. Collins of Knights Ferry. Bert Weeks was a Sergeant and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude R. Weeks of 1733 Almond Street, Modesto. The body of Sergeant Weeks will be brought to Modesto for burial and the body of Collins will go to Oakdale where the Stanley L. Collins Post of the American Legion will conduct services. The Modesto post No. 74 of the American legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will have charge of the military funeral of Sergeant Weeks.

2005 - Information Source:

Modesto Daily Evening Herald, Oct. 21, 1920, page one.

Carolyn Kerr, Stanislaus County - http://www.cagenweb.com/lr/stanislaus/

Glenn Burghardt - Director, Oakland Museum - http://www.oakdalehistory.com

Judy Ewbank - The Modesto Library - http://www.stanislauslibrary.org/