Norman Bosworth MacChesney

SGT in 603rd Engineer Camouflage Bn : Co D, 2nd Platoon

ASN#12138265

Born 1921 in NY, Died 1997

Artist

County of residence at enlistment: Rensselaer County, NY

Other residence(s): Troy, NY

United States Army, European Theatre of Operations

Occupation before the war: student

College education before the war: Grand Central School of Art

Notes: Rank changed from PVT to SGT per New York Area Leave List

Source: 603rd Camouflage Engineer Roster provided by W. Anderson; 603rd reunion mailing list; Col John Walker List; Bernie Mason Company D Roster;Bernie Mason Company D Roster; Bernie Mason photo of Company D in Trier with names on back; photo from The Troy Record, November 3, 1945.

Norman Bosworth MacChesney, known as "Boz," was born on February 19, 1921 in Troy, NY. He was an only child; his father was a banker and active in many community organizations. His British-born grandmother lived with the family while he was growing up.

Boz graduated from Lansingburgh High School, and rounded off his studies at the Hoosac School, a prep school in Hoosick, NY. He went on to study at the Grand Central School of Art in New York City, but his art studies were interrupted by the war. He registered for the draft on February 15, 1942 and enlisted on September 17, 1942. Like other NYC art students, he was assigned to the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion and saw service in Europe with the unit.

He was discharged from the Army on October 21, 1945 with the rank of SGT. A November, 1945 article in The Troy Record, with the headline "Soldier's Unit Fought with Rubber Guns, Dummy Tanks," describes at length his work with the Ghost Army. Yet he didn't tell them everything. "Sergeant MacChesney intimated that there were a lot of tricks the 23rd had used which he was not discussing. 'Maybe the War Department wouldn't like to have all of the cats let out of the bag yet,' he said."

After Boz returned to Troy, he married a local woman, Marjorie Aston, on August 31, 1946. They would go on to have two children: Sandra and Robert Bosworth.

Immediately after the war, Boz got his real estate license and then added insurance sales to his resume. During the late 1940s/early 1950s he also managed several city and federal emergency housing projects in Troy.

Boz followed in his father's footsteps, becoming an active participant in community and professional life in Troy. He was a member of the Masons, as his father had been; in 1957 his father, past monarch of Iran Grotto at the Troy Masonic Temple, installed Boz as the new monarch, and then Boz invested his father as treasurer.

He also served on the boards of the YMCA and the Rensselaer County Junior Museum. He was active in St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and served as assistant treasurer; he was also selected in 1970 as president of the Troy Area Churchmen's League, an Episcopal organization. He was a Boy Scout volunteer; a member of the Rotary; chapter chair of the American Red Cross; treasurer of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge; a member (and president for a term) of the Troy Area Independent Insurance Agents; and a director and VP of the NY State Association of Insurance Agents.

In 1964 he co-founded Nicoll & MacChesney, an agency which offered a broad range of personal and commercial insurance. His son eventually took over the business, and was president in 2018 when the agency was acquired by Marshall & Sterling.

Boz died on November 10, 1997, and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy.