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B-17 Flying Fortress
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 #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.
1944 - Blanco Diablo (B-17G 42-102658), DeMallie Crew. Back Row: Jow Marlowe, Loel Bishop, Don Holmes, Hank Rutkowski, Lowell Strain, Harold S. Derr, Jr. Front Row: Howard DeMallie, Chuck Olson, Bill Leader, Dick Fuller.
S/Sgt Harold S. Derr, Jr Radio Operator, B-17G Blanco Diablo 447th BG, 708 BS, Rattlesden, England, 1944
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 Prisoner of War); Dick Fuller (evaded capture); Joe Marlowe (Killed in Action); flak, crashed Ronduite, Hol. Missing Air Crew Report 11052. BLANC DIABLO.
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...
Squadron
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed on 12/6/44 near Mepple in B-17 'Blanco Diablo' #42102658
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 398th Bomb Group
Assigned to 603BS, 398BG, 8AF USAAF. Cologne mission 15-Oct-44; Crashed 1000yds from end of runway near Anstey Church, bomb load exploded on impact. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 15229
Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
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.
Military | Major | Bombardier, navigator | 447th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Mepple on 12/6/44 in B-17 'Blanco Diablo' #42102658
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 447th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed on 12/6/44 near Mepple in B-17 'Blanco Diablo' #42102658
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.
...
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.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Evaded (EVD) Crashed near Mepple on 12/6/44 in B-17 'Blanco Diablo' #42102658. He was only member of crew to escape. Spent 5 months with Dutch Underground. Returned to Allied Control 1 Apr 45 Pilot was Richard De Mellie
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...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered | Germany | 6 December 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2018 23:42:43 | BruceDerr | Changes to person associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
Missing Aircraft Crew Report (MACR) 11052 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2017 02:35:26 | timothymotz | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz; from a mission list kept by Harold Motz and compared to Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group" |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 September 2016 02:49:30 | timothymotz | Changes to nicknames and events |
| Sources | ||
Aircraft nickname added by timothymotz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:11 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 11052 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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