Thomas Charles (?) Diamond | American Air Museum in Britain

Stamped on the reverse, "OFFICIAL/ Air Force Photograph/ May 1944/ Army Air Base/ Alexandria, La." Alexandria, Louisiana was the site of the Alexandria Army Air Base (later renamed England Air Force Base), which functioned for B-17 aircrew training. Harold Motz's notes on the back of the photo identify the crew members: Left to Right: First Row: Pilot--Lt. R.J. "Bob" Westrope; CoPilot--Lt. W.M. "Kelly" Callahan; Nav.--Lt. ? (a joke; it's actually Harold "Scotty" Motz); Bombardier--Lt. W.V. "Bill" Lawrence. Second Row: Engineer--Sgt. H.M. "Muscles" Woods; Radio Operator--Sgt. E.E. Wells. Gunners: Right Waist--Sgt. O. Flores; Lower Ball--Cpl. O.H. Moreland; Top Turret--Sgt. T. Diamond; Tail--Cpl. J. A. Pfeiffer

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
Map for Eighth Air Force mission #658 to Kassel on October 2, 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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
map for 8th Air Force mission #628 on September 13, 1944 to Stuttgart; 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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
map of Eighth Air Force mission #637 to Arnhem on September 17, 1944, from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold's notes say "flak gun installations". This mission was in advance of the paratroop drop for the Market-Garden operation. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
map of Eighth Air Force mission #642 to Koblenz on September 19, 1944. From the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold notes on the back of the map, "one engine feathered" Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33
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.

Show caption About this image
1-5 of 33

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.

The 8th Air Force reduced bomber crews from 10 to 9 at the end of July, 1944, eliminating one waist gunner. Shortly after that, Diamond’s name no longer appears among the Westrope crew members in the loading lists for bombing missions. Another Thomas Diamond is listed as belonging to the 487th Bomb Group and it is possible that Thomas Diamond was transferred from the 447th to the 487th, but I t isn’t known whether the two Thomas Diamonds are actually one and the same person.

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.
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 | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier, Pilot, Comptroller | 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...
Harold Motz

Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
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. ...
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...

Units served with

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

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...

Missions

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.
494

25 July 1944
527

7 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown: ...
541

11 August 1944
8th Air Force 554

15 August 1944
Airfields in NW Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are the primary targets for this mission. 8th Air Force despatches a total of 932 aircraft. The raid is coordinated with 1,000 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers and Mosquitos attacking 9 airfields...

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...
St Nicholas, Rattlesden

Other location
Rattlesden Gliding Club

Other location

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Hanging Rock, OH, USA	1924
Died	Ironton, OH, USA

Date	Contributor	Update
03 March 2020 20:45:58	timothymotz	Changes to biography
Sources
Timothy Motz
Date	Contributor	Update
03 March 2020 20:42:24	timothymotz	Changes to service number
Sources
Timothy Motz from https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=13&cat=WR26&t...
Date	Contributor	Update
03 March 2020 20:39:49	timothymotz	Changes to biography
Sources
Timothy Motz
Date	Contributor	Update
06 March 2017 22:01:00	timothymotz	Changes to mission associations
Sources
Timothy Motz, from 447th loading lists
Date	Contributor	Update
05 February 2017 19:26:42	timothymotz	Changes to mission associations
Sources
Timothy Motz; from a mission list kept by Harold Motz, compared with Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group"
Date	Contributor	Update
05 February 2017 19:17:08	timothymotz	Changes to place associations and aircraft associations
Sources
Timothy Motz
Date	Contributor	Update
15 January 2017 23:10:28	timothymotz	Changes to middlename, highest rank and events
Sources
Likely birth and death dates and locations added by Timothy Motz: http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Diamond&GSfn=Thomas&GS... Address in Hanging Rock, Ohio listed in "Pictorial History of the 447th Bombardment Group" (1945)
Date	Contributor	Update
13 October 2016 23:20:45	timothymotz	Changes 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	Contributor	Update
27 September 2014 18:25:44	AAM	AAM 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