Niles W Hartung
Military
Niles W. Hartung Crew
466th BG - 787th BS
Standing Left to Right: unidentified person, Hal Kren (B), Niles W. Hartung (P), Clifford Smith (CP), Richard Gates (N), unidentified person
Kneeling Left to Right: Kowalski (R/O), Nelson Anderson (FE), unidentified person, Pollack (G) 466th Bomb Group collection
Grandson: Justin Benard
Object Number - UPL 16224 - Crew #743 Niles W. Hartung Crew 466th BG - 787th BS Standing Left to Right: unidentified person, Hal Kren (B), Niles W. Hartung (P), Clifford...
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Units served with
People
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Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Levering, MI 49755, USA | 5 August 1916 | |
|
Other 466th BG Combat Tour |
Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK | 5 August 1944 - 7 January 1945 | "Niles was a rangy, country boy sort whose civilian job had been with the telephone company. He had a good down to earth attitude, and as events later proved, was a solid citizen." - Hal Kren |
|
Other 2nd Combat Mission |
Hamburg, Germany | 6 August 1944 | Hamburg changed my attitude about the ease of flying combat 100% or 180 degrees, if you care to look at it that way. We had flak. The flak was radar directed; it was extremely accurate. It was heavy. It was everything that you could think of that would make a mission unpleasant. We were not shot full of holes, but we were scared. Here is where the pilot came in. This one of the reasons I developed so much respect for our pilot, Niles Hartung. He had listened to, and he had paid attention to, and he had heeded the advice we had been given about what to do under these circumstances. He was able to maintain formation, and we were flying just off someone's wing, but he was still able to do evasive action sufficiently while still maintaining formation so that we got through this whole mess. He showed that quality many, many, many times over. We survived the mission. - Hal Kren, Bombardier |
|
Died |
Hebron, MI, USA | 13 February 1992 | Niles Hartung, 75, of Hebron Township, died Feb.13,1992, at his home. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb.16, at the Nordman Funeral Home in Cheboygan with the Rev. Glen Wegner officiating. Burial will be in Carp Lake Township Cemetery. Mr. Hartung was born Aug. 5, 1916, in Levering, the son of Edmund and Hazel (Sirgley) Hartung. He married the former Lillian Dennis on June 28,1940. Mr. Hartung served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, flying more than 70 missions. He was employed as a Pioneer telephone man with Michigan Bell for more than 42 years He worked as a lineman and later as a forester supervisor. Mr. Hartung was a member of the VFW of Levering, the Levering Lions Club and was a former member of the Elks Club of Petoskey. Survivors include his wife, Lillian; two daughters, Mrs. Gene (Nileen) Copeman of Levering and Mrs. Brian (Mary Jane) Berand of Connecticut; one son, Leo Hartung of Reese, Mich.; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchildren; two brothers, Maurice Hartung of Alabama; and one sister, Marion Doyle. The family will receive callers from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.15, at the Nordman Funeral Home in Cheboygan. |
|
Enlisted |
Carp Lake, MI, USA | 16 February 1992 | Carp Lake Township Cemetery Carp Lake Emmet County Michigan, USA |
| Petoskey, MI, USA |
Revisions
The original HARTUNG Crew was formed on 26 July 1944. The crew consisted of: Niles W. HARTUNG (P): Abraham C. SMITH (CP): Richard F. GATES (N): Harold E. KREN (B): Richard J. KOWALSKI (R/O):Nelson W. ANDERSON (Eng. Gun): Chester F. MEYERS (G): William D. POLLOCK (Armorer/gunner): William Jack KEY (G); Kerwyn H. PARK (G). Perhaps having the names will help identify the unknown individuals in the crew photo.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL by Wassom & Brassfield, page 346