Coleman was born in July 1922 in Pancras, London to Henry and Jennie née Ogus and had five brothers and sisters. Their grandfather Reuben Ogus emigrated from Lithuania and worked as a butcher in Whitechapel. In 1939, their parents are listed as working as street traders in Stepney.

Coleman was the wireless operator on Lancaster ME440 which departed from RAF Wigsley on a cross country training exercise. The route was RAF Wigsley-Reading-Bodmin-The Skerries-Wigsley. The crew was briefed to fly at a height between 18,000/20,000 feet and an air speed of 160 knots.
At 1643 the aircraft was given a diversion, and this was acknowledged. At 1658 the presumed position of ME440 was in the vicinity of Tudwells, approximately 6m S of Pwllheli, Wales. A further message was sent to the aircraft at 1706, but this was not acknowledged. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft and it did not return to base. All eight crew are commemorated on Runnymede Memorial.

A/G, Alan Patrick Bulger, 1796164

F/E, William Burns, 3022679

W/Op, Francis Dermot Byrne, 1123766

A/G, William Andrew Alcwyn Clark, 619362

Pilot, Dixon Ross Keast, RAAF, 436038

Nav, Maurice Moore, 1685692

A/B, Frederick George Arthur Shaboe, 1586237