Please click here for more information, there is also plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Military
Stamped on the back: Official Air Force Photograph; May 1944; Army Air Base; Alexandria LA. Westrope crew (identified on back of photo in Harold Motz's handwriting), front row: Lt. Robert J. "Bob" Westrope (pilot), Lt. Warren M. "Kelly" Callahan (copilot), Lt. Harold A. Motz (navigator), Lt. Willard J. "Bill" Lawrence (bombardier), Back row: Sgt. H. M. "Muscles" Woods (engineer), Sgt. E. E. Wells (radio operator), Sgt. O. Flores (right waist gunner), Cpl. O. H. Moreland (ball turret gunner), Sgt. T. Diamond (top turret gunner), Cpl. J. A. Pfieffer (tail gunner)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 | 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 | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 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...
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...
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.
...
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.
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.
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.
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...
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
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...
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...
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.
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.
...
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...
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."
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...
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...
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)...
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...
12 July 1944
Picked up a few flak holes. Overcast weather all the way. Another long ride. This makes 17 completed Missions.
14 July 1944
16 July 1944
18 July 1944
Flew an easy one over Denmark to Germany. Only had one hours sleep between yesterday and today.
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.
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.
25 July 1944
7 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown:
...
8 August 1944
11 August 1944
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...
Other location
Other location
Other location
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 27 July 1920 | |
| Died | 27 January 1999 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 06 March 2017 21:33:59 | timothymotz | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz, from 447th loading lists |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 March 2017 21:29:50 | timothymotz | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz, from 447th loading lists |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 February 2017 03:22:52 | timothymotz | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 February 2017 21:52:06 | timothymotz | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz; from mission list kept by Harold Motz, compared to Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group" |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 February 2017 21:34:39 | timothymotz | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz; from a mission list kept by Harold Motz, compared to Doyle Shields, "History of the 447th Bomb Group" |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 February 2017 21:28:46 | timothymotz | Changes to place associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 January 2017 22:01:22 | timothymotz | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Birth and death dates corrected by Timothy Motz from obituary: |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 January 2017 21:35:53 | timothymotz | Changes to middlename and biography |
| Sources | ||
middle name corrected and birth and death dates from obituary added by Timothy Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 October 2016 22:55:24 | timothymotz | Changes to nickname and role |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz, from notes on a crew photo of Harold Motz, 2016 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2016 17:59:16 | timothymotz | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz from crew photo of Harold Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2016 17:38:07 | timothymotz | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz from crew photo of Harold Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2016 17:37:06 | timothymotz | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz from crew photo of Harold Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2016 17:36:00 | timothymotz | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz from crew photo of Harold Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2016 17:35:07 | timothymotz | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz from crew photo of Harold Motz |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:27:09 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History Roster as of 01 August 1945 |
||
