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.
Otto Henry Moreland
Military
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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.
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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.
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Map for 8th Air Force Mission #674 to Bremen on October 12, 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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 Benson Manufacturing, Kansas City.
Born in Arley, Mo., he was reared and attended school in Paradise, Mo. He was a graduate of the Smithville High School, and served in the Air Force during World War II and among the medals he received was a Distinguished Flying Cross (CG #868, 3d Bomb Div, 21 Oct 1944) "for extraordinary achievement while serving as waist gunner on many high altitude heavy bomardment missions against the enemy over Continental Europe, during a period ending 18 October 1944. Sergeant Moreland repelled numerous hostile fighter attacks by his excellent marksmenship, thereby assuring the safety of the crew and aircraft."
SSgt Moreland was inducted into the "Lucky Bastards Club" on 18 October 1944 for flying no less than 30 successful missions as Waist Gunner on the Flying Fortress "Milk Wagon", "for having braved the hazards of Hun Flak, for bringing Hitler and his cronies tons of bombs, for bending the Luftwaffe's back; all through the courtesy of the VIII Air Force.
Mr. Moreland was a member of the First Baptist Church, Smithville, where he served as a deacon, head usher and on various committees.
On Dec. 10, 1948, he married Anna Dolores Helvey. They made their home near Smithville. She survives him in Kearney, Mo as of 12 Oct 2019.
Service
People
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Thomas Diamond
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. ... -
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... -
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
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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
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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
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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
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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. -
527
7 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown: ... -
530
8 August 1944
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541
11 August 1944
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548
13 August 1944
We led the entire Division in a tactical mission. The target: Roads to Paris. Colonel McKnight flew Pilot; Lt Houser was Co-Pilot. Results of bombing A1. -
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... -
8th Air Force 556
16 August 1944
Aircraft factories and oil refineries are the primary targets for this mission. A total of 1090 heavy bombers are despatched. See Mission Details for particulars. ...
Associated Place
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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... -
Rattlesden Memorial
Other location
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St Nicholas, Rattlesden
Other location
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Rattlesden Gliding Club
Other location
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Clay County, MO, USA | 11 August 1913 |
| Died | Smithville, MO 64089, USA | 30 April 2000 |
| Enlisted |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 October 2019 21:07:06 | jpmoreland | Changes to awards |
| Sources | ||
AAFRS Form 2-72 dtd 2/27/1944, signed by James A. Smith, Jr., Major, Asst Personnel Officer transcribed by Colonel James P. Moreland, USAF (retired), moreland@iname.com, 12 Oct 2019 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 October 2019 20:43:35 | jpmoreland | Changes to awards |
| Sources | ||
I, Col Jamese P. Moreland, USAF (retired) am the nephew of O.H. Moreland, and am in possession of his military records, having received them from his wife, Anna Dolores Moreland of Kearney, MO as of 12 October 2019. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 October 2019 20:08:24 | jpmoreland | Changes to role and biography |
| Sources | ||
I am O.H. Moreland's nephew and am in possession of his service records, having received them from his wife, Anna Dolores Moreland. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 October 2019 19:50:55 | jpmoreland | Changes to nickname, service number, highest rank and biography |
| Sources | ||
O.H. Moreland is my uncle and I am in possession of his service records. (James P. Moreland, Colonel, USAF, MSC (retired). moreland@iname.com |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 March 2017 21:48:26 | timothymotz | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz, from 447th loading lists |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 February 2017 03:19:25 | 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" |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 February 2017 03:09:36 | timothymotz | Changes to place associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 January 2017 23:02:38 | timothymotz | Changes to middlename, firstname, biography, awards and events |
| Sources | ||
Name corrected; birth and death dates and locations added by Timothy Motz from obituary: |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 October 2016 23:16:29 | timothymotz | Changes to role, person associations, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Timothy Motz from notes on a crew photo from Harold Motz, 2016 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 September 2016 10:40:23 | Lucy May | Created entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nationality, highest rank, unit associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
