Harold M Woods
Military
Back Row: Otto Moreland, Robert Westrope, Harold Motz, Warren Callahan, Oscar Flores; Front Row: Joseph Pfeiffer, Robert Orlosky, Edwin Wells, Harold Woods. Missing from photo and thus probably the photographer, Willard "Bill" Lawrence.
As far as has been determined, this crew never actually flew this aircraft. It is interesting that in contrast to the official crew photo taken before the Westrope crew left the US for England in which officers and enlisted men are in separate rows, in this photo officers and enlisted men are mixed together.
Timothy Motz
Object Number - UPL 23690 - Westrope Crew, 708th Squadron, 447th Bomb Group. Photo taken at Rattlesden. Standing in front of B-17 "Satchel Lass" (42-31185). Judging from the...
Born in Orienta, Oklahoma, on November 30, 1923, Harold was the son of Maggie Myrtle (Scarbrough) and Dana McCoy Woods. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the Army Air Corps as a top turret gunnery engineer in a B-17. He flew 36 missions over Germany and was discharged after 2 ½ years as a Tech Sergeant. He earned three Bronze Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal and a Distinguished Flying Cross.
On February 9, 1947, he married Betty Louella Osborne in Altus, Oklahoma.
Harold graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a BS in pharmacy. He was owner/operator of Woods Pharmacy in Rule, Texas, for 27 years. He was a member of Rotary International, Optimist Club working with the soap box derby in Lawton, Okla., and the Rule Chamber of Commerce.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35652655
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Bombardier / Pilot / Comptroller
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37536427
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Lower Ball Turret Gunner/Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Due Back
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Blanco Diablo
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Swanee Pride
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ground Pounder
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Shack Happy
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
Missions
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Memorial
- Known as: Rattlesden Control Tower
- Site type: Memorial
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Orienta, OK 73729, USA | 30 November 1923 | |
|
Died |
Abilene, TX, USA | 10 March 2006 |
Revisions
Timothy Motz; from a mission list kept by Harold Motz and compared to Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group."
Timothy Motz; from a mission list kept by Harold Motz and compared to Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group."
Birth and deth information and biography added by Timothy Motz from obituary:
http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=woods&GSfn=Harold&GSm…;
Brought in information from duplicate record. Source:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History Roster, Enlisted Men, as of 01 August 1945
