In June 1944, Norm was sent overseas to the 8th Air Force joining the 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group. He was copilot on a B17 Flying Fortress and reported by letter that there had been an absence of Nazi fighters on his first operations. In June 1944, Norm was sent overseas to the 8th Air Force joining the 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group. He was copilot on a B17 Flying Fortress and reported by letter that there had been an absence of Nazi fighters on his first operations.
Joining the Eight Air Force as its all-out bombing attack on German war plants was thrown into high gear, Second Lieut. Norman A. E. Quast, 23-year-old B-17 Flying Fortress co-pilot, received his battle baptism in a recent assault on vital Nazi synthetic oil factories in central Germany. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schutt, 919 Ketchum street, and was formerly a student at Chevrolet and General Motors Tech, at Flint. He was graduated from Junior college here.
Noticeable to the local airman on his initial combat operation was the absence of Nazi fighter planes. According to Lieut. Quast, little enemy action was encountered except for sporadic flak concentrations.
Lieut. Quast is on duty with a Fortress group which holds a presidential citation for gallantry in action. His veteran group has sent bombs falling on the enemy targets ranging from industrial objectives at Berlin to military installations along the French coast, including robot plane sites. - Bay City Times 8/8/44
Distinguished Unit Citations:
17 August 1943: Regensburg (all 4BW groups)
14 October 1943: Schweinfurt
