Rear Admiral William Francis Towle, United Coast Guard, was born 26 June, 1884 at Lowell, Massachusetts. He received his early education in the Massachusetts public schools and was appointed a cadet in the U.S. Coast Guard on 11 May, 1906 and received a commission as an ensign on 22 December, 1908.
His first assignment was on board the Coast Guard cutter Gresham, and from October, 1908 to May, 1914 he served on board the cutters Itasca, Seneca, Woodbury and the McCulloch.
In May, 1914 he was assigned to the cutter Unalga of the Bering Sea Fleet and was detached in September of that year to serve on board the cutters Academy and Itasca, based at New London, Conn.
He was transferred to the Androscoggin in May, 1916 and he remained on that vessel until August, 1918 when he was detached to report to Liverpool, England for patrol force duty. He was awarded the Victory Medal with patrol clasp for his participation in World War I, while serving on board the USS Imperator.
He next served as Division Supervisor of Communications in New York and after a shore tour of duty at the Coast Guard Depot at Baltimore, Md., was assigned to the cutter Gresham. Detached from that vessel in November, 1921 he reported on board the Comanche which was based at Galveston, Tex.
From July, 1924 to October, 1926 he was commanding officer of the Destroyer Ammen and then took command of the Destroyer McDougall. He was assigned to duty in the New York Division from October 1927 until January, 1931 when he returned to duty on the west coast as commanding officer of the Tahoe on the Bering Sea Patrol.
In February, 1934 he was placed in command of Section Base 11, Oakland, Calif., and in December, 1936 was transferred to the Hawaiian Section where he was commanding officer until April, 1939, being detached from a short tour of duty as commanding officer of the cutter Saranac.
From July, 1939 to May, 1940 he was commanding officer of the San Juan District, then placed in command of the St. Louis district for a year and from June, 1941 to January, 1942 acted as Superintendent of the Maritime Service Training Station at Hueneme, California.
From January, 1942 to March of that year he served as Chief of the Maritime Service at Coast Guard Headquarters and then was made Captain of the Port of the 11th Naval district, Long Beach, California. In April, 1942 he was designate District Coast Guard Officer for that district.
After receiving a commission as an ensign on 22 December, 1908 he was promoted in rank as follows: lieutenant (jg) 2 January 1909; lieutenant, 1 January, 1920; lieutenant commander, 12 January, 1923; commander, 27 September, 1927; captain, 29 August, 1939; rear admiral in July, 1945.