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Mission map for 8th Air Force mission #494, July 25, 1944 to St. Lo, from Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Note that on this map, the dark line is the route for the mission of the previous day (#492), while the light pencil line is for the mission of July 25.
Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.
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 | Co-Pilot
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 | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Top Turret Gunner
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
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 | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier, Pilot, Comptroller
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...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Lower Ball Turret Gunner/Waist Gunner
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...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator
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.
...
Military | Corporal (5th Grade) | Tail Gunner
Joseph Pfeiffer served as a tail gunner with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator
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.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
Bob Westrope served as a pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Engineer
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...
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)...
25 July 1944
Other location
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 30 May 2020 19:54:25 | timothymotz | Changes to caption |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 May 2020 01:52:25 | timothymotz | Changes to collection |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 October 2016 01:55:08 | timothymotz | Changes to place associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz, from the estate of Harold Motz, 2016 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 October 2016 01:55:06 | timothymotz | Created entry with caption, unit associations, person associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz, from the estate of Harold Motz, 2016 |
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