Sergeant Catherine C. Moore

[kanemono]

Sergeant Catherine C. Moore, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and the Women's Army Corps, United States Army Air Corps, World War Two: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, Air Offensive Europe

Catherine Cratty Moore was born in West Bend, Palo Alto, Iowa on October 1, 1918. She attended four years of High School and was employed as a bookkeeper before enlisting in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in Chicago, Illinois on March 30, 1943. The WAAC went out of existence on August 31, 1943. It was succeeded immediately by the Women's Army Corps (WAC) which Congress made part of the United States Army for the duration of the war plus six months. Unlike their counterparts in the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, WACs could be stationed anywhere, including behind the lines on the battlefield. She served at United States Army Air Corps Base Kimbolton which was part of the 8th Air Force. The 379th Bomb Group began operations with Eighth Air Force at Kimbolton in May of 1943, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for operations over Europe from May 1943 through July 1944.  The group engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Poland. The Group received another DUC for flying without fighter protection into central Germany to attack vital aircraft factories on 11 January 1944. The Group operated in support of ground forces before the Normandy invasion in June 1944, bombed defended positions just ahead of the Allied landings on 6 June and struck airfields, rail choke points, and gun emplacements during the campaign that followed. During the Battle of France, the Group bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops at St Lo during the breakthrough, 24–25 July 1944, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945, and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine from February to March 1945. Moore received the Women's Army Corps Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Medal with one silver and one bronze star and the WW II Victory Medal. She served in the following campaigns, Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe and Air Offensive Europe. Moore also received Glider flight pay. Catherine Cratty Moore died in Vernon, Connecticut on June 23, 2012.

[kanemono]

I am not sure why Sgt. Moore received glider training and pay but the fact that she did is in her records.

[bertmedals]

Excellent group with a great story behind it -- thanks for posting  it.

 

There are hidden gems among the WAAC/WAC groups that are out there.  My wife and I have collected several over the years.

 

Looking forward to read what may be said on the forum about Sgt Moore's glider training.  Could be some interesting stuff there.

 

Dennis