Edwin E Wells

Military
media-23690.jpeg 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 mission marks on the plane, this was taken after April-May 1944; probably autumn 1944. Satchel Lass crash-landed near Honington, England on September 9, 1944 and was repaired at Rattlesden and returned to combat duty. The presence of Sgt. Robert Orlosky, the crew chief for "Milk Wagon" (43-37756), which the Westrope crew flew for the last third of their combat tour, suggests that the photo was taken at the end of that tour in late October, 1944. Satchel Lass was simply a convenient backdrop.

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...

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.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 447th Bomb Group.

447th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Warren Mason Callahan

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Thomas Charles Diamond

  • 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

Oscar G Flores

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Willard James Lawrence

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Bombardier / Pilot / Comptroller

Otto Henry Moreland

  • 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

42-102632

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Due Back
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron

42-102658

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Blanco Diablo
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron

42-107220

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Swanee Pride

42-31095

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ground Pounder
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron

42-31154

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Shack Happy
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron

Missions

682

  • Date: 18 October 1944

681

  • Date: 17 October 1944
The flak damaged nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress of the 398th Bomb Group. Printed caption on reverse: '54600 AC- England- 1st lt Lawrence M De Lancey, Corvallis, Oregon, landed this B-17 safely after its nose was literally shot away by flak over Cologne, Germany. Please Credit: Official US Air Force Photo.' Printed caption on image: 'This B-17 landed safely after losing its nose to flak. US AAF Photo.' Handwritten caption on reverse: '43-38172 of 398th BG.'

678

  • Date: 15 October 1944

677

  • Date: 14 October 1944

674

  • Date: 12 October 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Died

Frederick, MD, USA 10 May 1997

Born

Other

Law Degree

Received his law degree from Wake Forest College of Law

Revisions

Date
Contributortimothymotz
ChangesChanges to mission associations. Changes to Role of Honour Picture. Changes to Role of Honour Picture
Sources

Timothy Motz, from 447th loading lists

Date
Contributortimothymotz
ChangesChanges to mission associations
Sources

Timothy Motz

Date
Contributortimothymotz
ChangesChanges to place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Timothy Motz; from mission list kept by Harold Motz, compared to Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group"

Date
Contributortimothymotz
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

Timothy Motz

Date
Contributortimothymotz
ChangesChanges to highest rank, biography, awards and events
Sources

Timothy Motz from obituary: Frederick, Maryland News Post, May 23, 1997

Date
Contributortimothymotz
ChangesChanges to highest rank, role, person associations, unit associations and place associations
Sources

Timothy Motz, from notes on a crew photo from Harold Motz, 2016

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

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

Edwin E Wells: Gallery (35 items)