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.