Norman C. (Norm) Grant, Sr. B-24 Navigator, USAAF, 8th Air Force, 493rd Bomb Group, 860th Bomb Squadron, Base # 152 Ipswich, England



Norm Grant was a Past President of the 8th AFHS-Mn and there is a webpage about him on the main 8th AFHS-Mn website.

The is an excellent 2 hour video about Norm Grant speaking about his WW II experiences entitled "24th Mission: The Story of Norman C. Grant" Jason Medvec, Executive Producer.

Norm also appears briefly in the national 8th AFHS's "Start Your Engines" video.



Biographical sketch

Born 1920



Grew up in Minneapolis, Mn.



Enlisted in U.S. Army Air Corps September 2, 1942



Commissioned 2nd Lt.: 1944 Received Navigator wings at San Marcos, Texas Dec. 4, 1943



Assigned B-24 crew at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. He departed Texas to McCook Nebraska to join in the formation of 493rd Bomb Group.

Arrival in England: May 1, 1944



First combat mission on D-Day June 6, 1944



August 18, 1944: On 24th mission: B-24 plane Boley Cat was hit by flak over Roye-Amy German air base in northern France (Pierpoint, France), pilot killed, nose gunner wounded, bailed out, He thought he was the lone survivor of a nine man crew but learned much later in life on a visit to France from an eyewitness, that a second open parachute was seen. Captured by German soldiers POW, interrogated at Dulag Luft, Stalag Luft III (Sagan, Germany), Winter March, Moosberg, liberation, Camp Lucky Strike, took a ship home to Boston, Discharged. Much later in life, the French farmer where the plane crashed boxed up the plane parts and mailed them to Norm. The 8th AFHS-Mn still retains these. Some radio parts are labelled.



Worked in the securities business 42 years



Passed away July 11, 2002 following complications from heart surgery, Age 81



To read an account of his time in service and many experiences, see Don Ward’s book, The Greatest Generation of Silver Wings (2004) pp. 201-209. ISBN 0-9654964-0-8. The Memorial Press.



He was also featured in a Mpls. Star tribune newspaper article with Larry Bachman about 8th AFHS-Mn veterans speaking to schoolchildren.

For more information see Norm's 8th AFHS-MN webpage at

https://sites.google.com/site/8thafhsmn/pictures/norm-grant



Shot down 18 August 1944 in B-24 #4129473 'Bolicat. ' POW.



POW