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Harold A Motz

Military

  • Lt. Harold (Scotty) Motz, probably taken late 1943 or early 1944. unknown location

    Lt. Harold (Scotty) Motz, probably taken late 1943 or early 1944. unknown location

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  • Announcement of class graduation from navigation school

    Announcement of class graduation from navigation school

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  • Map for 8th Air Force mission #626 on September 12, 1944 to Bohlen, Germany; from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map for 8th Air Force mission #626 on September 12, 1944 to Bohlen, Germany; from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • Map of 8th air force mission #623 to Fulda, on September 11, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold's list of missions describe this as Fulda, but the note on the back of the map describes it as Bohlen. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map of 8th air force mission #623 to Fulda, on September 11, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold's list of missions describe this as Fulda, but the note on the back of the map describes it as Bohlen. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • Map of 8th Air Force mission #619 on September 10, 1944 to Giebelstadt; from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew in the 708th squadron, 447th bomb group Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map of 8th Air Force mission #619 on September 10, 1944 to Giebelstadt; from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew in the 708th squadron, 447th bomb group Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • Map of the 8th air force mission #613 code-named Grassy, to drop supplies to the resistance forces in southern France on September 9, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th Squadron, 447th Bomb Group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map of the 8th air force mission #613 code-named Grassy, to drop supplies to the resistance forces in southern France on September 9, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th Squadron, 447th Bomb Group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • penciled route is for 8th Air Force mission #606 to Brest on September 5, 1944; darker route is for mission #575 on August 26, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    penciled route is for 8th Air Force mission #606 to Brest on September 5, 1944; darker route is for mission #575 on August 26, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • Map for 8th Air Force mission #595 to Mainz on September 1, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map for 8th Air Force mission #595 to Mainz on September 1, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • Map of 8th Air Force mission 591 to Bremen on August 30, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map of 8th Air Force mission 591 to Bremen on August 30, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • Map of 8th Air Force mission #575 to Brest, France on August 26, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew of the 708th squadron, 447th Bomb Group. Dark line is the route for mission #575 on August 26, 1944; penciled line is the route for mission #606 on September 5, 1944 Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

    Map of 8th Air Force mission #575 to Brest, France on August 26, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew of the 708th squadron, 447th Bomb Group. Dark line is the route for mission #575 on August 26, 1944; penciled line is the route for mission #606 on September 5, 1944 Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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Harold Motz served as a navigator with the 708th squadron, 447th Bomb Group, 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force and was based at Rattlesden, England -- about 50 miles east of Cambridge.

The story Harold told about his enlistment was that he and a group of friends had a pact: if one of them was drafted, the others in the group would volunteer. As it came to pass, when it happened, the one who was drafted spent the war stationed in the United States while the others were sent overseas.

One story told by Harold's wife after his death was that in the spring of 1944 when Harold was navigator on a flight ferrying B-17s to Prestwick, Scotland, a decoy beacon had been set up by the Germans. Some of the planes in the ferrying group followed the decoy. Harold insisted that was not correct and the pilot followed his route instead. Their plane made it to Scotland while the planes taking the other course never arrived.

Harold completed his combat tour of 35 missions with the 8th Air Force and was transferred to the Pacific, where he served with the Air Transport Command. He was released from active service on October 12, 1945.

Harold Motz and Dorothy Rita Dickson were married on August 17, 1946.
They raised a family in Detroit, Michigan where Harold worked as an engineer in the auto industry.

Harold died in 1995, survived by his wife Dorothy, three children, and (at the time of his death) four grandchildren.

Service

People

  • Warren Callahan

    Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
    Warran Callahan served as a co-pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

  • Thomas Diamond

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Top Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
    Thomas Diamond served as a top turret gunner in the Westrope crew with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England. ...

  • Oscar Flores

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
    Oscar Flores served as a waist gunner with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

  • Willard Lawrence

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
    Willard Lawrence was born on Jul. 12, 1921 in Jamestown, North Dakota, USA. His career included thirty years active duty in the United States Air Force, serving in three wars (WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War) as a pilot and later as a comptroller, he...

  • Otto Moreland

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Lower Ball Turret Gunner/Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
    Mr. Moreland had been employed by the United States Postal Service office at Smithville as a rural letter carrier for many years until retiring in 1980. Prior to that, he had worked for Koch in North Kansas City, Mo.; Ford Aircraft, Claycomo, Mo.; and...

  • Joseph Pfeiffer

    Military | Corporal (5th Grade) | Tail Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
    Joseph Pfeiffer served as a tail gunner with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

  • Edwin Wells

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 447th Bomb Group
    Was a lifelong member of the Virgina Bar Association. He worked for State Farm Insurance for 41 years, retiring as regional vice-president in Frederick, Maryland in 1981. He was survived by his wife, two children, and four grandchildren.

  • Robert Westrope

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
    Bob Westrope served as a pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

  • Harold Woods

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Engineer | 447th Bomb Group
    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...

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Units served with

  • 447th Bomb Group

    447th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...

  • 708th Bomb Squadron

    708th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-102632 Due Back

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 19/3/44; Hunter 1/4/44; Dow Fd 18/4/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG [CQ-B] Rattlesden 22/4/44; Missing in Action Ausum A/Fd, Ger 27/8/44 with Hugh Bowers, Co-pilot: Jim Doster, Navigator: George Pasvanis, Bombardier: Leonard Moore, Flight...

  • 42-102658 Blanco Diablo

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 23/3/44; Gr Island 12/45/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 30/4/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 6/12/44 with Howard DeMallie, Chas Olson, Don Holmes, Howard Derp, Lowell Strain, Henry Rutkowski, Loel Bishop (7...

  • 42-107220 Swanee Pride

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Tulsa 27/3/44; Kearney 6/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 22/4/44; landing accident with Art Jacques 21/2/45; crash landed non-op flight 24/5/45; Salvaged. SWANEE PRIDE.

  • 42-31095 Ground Pounder

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 20/9/43; Harvard 4/10/43; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 19/11/43; Missing in Action Hamm 29/11/44 with ? , unknown crew except Waist gunner: Garrett Rozema. THE GROUND POUNDER. ...

  • 42-31154 Shack Happy

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Dallas 25/9/43; Harvard 7/10/43; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 19/10/43; Missing in Action Merseburg 25/11/43 with Norman Wiggin, Ray Hansen, Phil Harper, Andy Bezak, Ken Reynolds, Marvin Olson, Chester Lambert (7 Killed in Action); Phil...

  • 42-37854 Round Trip

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 23/9/43; Harvard 9/10/43; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 19/11/43; t/o accident with Gene Gibson 6/1/45. Salvaged; referred to in Engineering report as "camera and weather ship."

  • 42-97400 Fuddy Duddy

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/2/44; Kearney 12/3/44 (LT Edward H. Grossheim crew, as "Little Stinker"); Dow Fd 5/4/44 (LT Edward H. Grossheim crew, as "Little Stinker"); Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 7/4/44 (renamed "Fuddy Duddy"); Missing in Action Misburg...

  • 43-37756 Milk Wagon

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 18/5/44; Kearney 27/5/44; Dow Fd 8/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 9/6/44; completed 129 missions with no abort; Returned to the USA Bradley 9/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/7/45; Reconstruction Finance...

  • 43-37774

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 20/5/44; Kearney 1/6/44; Grenier 16/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 20/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...

  • 43-37797 American Beauty

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/44; Hunter 1/6/44; Grenier 14/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 16/6/44; crashed on base 10/1/45 with Chas Summers, sal 8/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction...

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Missions

  • 466

    11 July 1944
    More than 1000 planes bombed Munich. Flak cut our control cables to elevators and rudder. Flew back by wing trim tabs. Shippy spliced cables before landing. Nine hour ride. Flak hit Sgt Rollinger's oxygen mask and injured his nose and eyes.

  • 469

    12 July 1944
    Picked up a few flak holes. Overcast weather all the way. Another long ride. This makes 17 completed Missions.

  • 472

    14 July 1944

  • 481

    18 July 1944
    Flew an easy one over Denmark to Germany. Only had one hours sleep between yesterday and today.

  • 8th Air Force 482

    19 July 1944
    Schweinfurt, Germany ball bearing plant was the target. Hit by flak and fell behind formation at 8:45 am above Aachen, Germany and crashed at Haren, Belgium at 10:06 am in the air district.

  • 484

    20 July 1944
    A rough one. Bombed an oil refinery near Leipzeig. Flak put several holes in the plane; ine in number 3 gas tank. Came back on 3 engines.

  • 492

    24 July 1944
    Bombed enemy troop concentrations and thus assisted the Allied breakthrough at St. Lo. About 1500 planes of US went to St. Lo in Cherbourg. We came back with our bombs. Couldn't find the target.

  • 494

    25 July 1944

  • 527

    7 August 1944
    STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown: ...

  • 530

    8 August 1944

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Associated Place

  • Rattlesden

    Military site : airfield
    Built for the Eighth Air Force in 1942, Rattlesden had three concrete runways, 50 hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. Intended to be a twin-engine B-26 bomber base, it was originally a satellite for nearby Rougham, and first occupied from...

  • Rattlesden Memorial

    Other location

  • St Nicholas, Rattlesden

    Other location

  • Rattlesden Gliding Club

    Other location

Events

Event Location Date
Born Detroit, MI, USA 11 May 1922
Graduated from the Army Air Forces Navigation School San Marcos, TX, USA 16 March 1944 – 18 March 1944

Graduated from Army Air Forces Navigation School, San Marcos Army Air Field, class 44-4
Married Dorothy Rita Dickson Detroit, MI, USA 17 August 1946
Died Warren, MI, USA 12 August 1995
Buried Ypsilanti, MI, USA

https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Motz&GSfn=Harold&GSby...
Nationality
American
Nickname
Scotty
Service numbers
O 717 475
Highest rank
First Lieutenant
Role/job
Navigator
Awards
  • Air Medal
  • Distinguished Flying Cross with 4 oak leaf clusters

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
07 December 2019 23:38:53 timothymotz Changes to biography
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
07 December 2019 23:31:41 timothymotz Changes to events
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
13 April 2017 22:08:06 timothymotz Changes to events
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2017 20:30:45 timothymotz Changes to events
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2017 20:29:43 timothymotz Changes to place associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2017 18:47:46 timothymotz Changes to biography, events and aircraft associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
15 January 2017 21:43:00 timothymotz Changes to biography and events
Sources

Biography updated by Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
03 November 2016 12:53:10 Lucy May Changes to biography and events
Sources

Correspondence with Timothy Motz
Also: http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=69662897
Date Contributor Update
03 November 2016 11:48:16 Lucy May Changes to service number, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Added associations to aircraft and missions from research document sent through to the American Air Museum by Timothy Motz.
Date Contributor Update
03 October 2016 02:30:51 timothymotz Changes to biography
Sources

Timothy Motz, 2016
Date Contributor Update
13 May 2016 18:01:31 timothymotz Changes to media associations
Sources

Timothy Motz from crew photo of Harold Motz
Date Contributor Update
13 May 2016 17:15:56 timothymotz Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Timothy Motz from info on 447bg.com
Date Contributor Update
13 May 2016 17:14:36 timothymotz Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Timothy Motz from info on 447bg.com
Date Contributor Update
13 May 2016 17:08:23 timothymotz Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
13 May 2016 15:56:46 timothymotz Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
13 May 2016 15:44:15 timothymotz Changes to media associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
04 May 2016 17:42:12 timothymotz Changes to unit associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
03 May 2016 16:49:00 timothymotz Changes to nickname, service number, role, awards, person associations, place associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Timothy Motz
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:11:58 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History Roster as of 01 August 1945

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