Howard W Greiner
MilitaryPilot
Crew #585
466th BG - 785th BS
The Greiner Crew were shot down on their 2nd mission, 2 March 1945. Greiner was able to parachute to safety.
466th BG Historian
He was called to active duty in January 1943, trained in Texas, crewed up in Casper, Wyoming and joined the 466th at Attlebridge near Norwich. On only his 2nd mission, a raid on Magdeburg, his plane lost three engines and they were forced to bail out. Howard broke his leg on landing and was made to march to a railway station. (Prisoner of War (POW) - crashed on 2 Mar 45 in B-24 42-51273). He was taken to hospital and shortly afterwards they were liberated by the advancing American Army. Discharged October 31 1945 he went back to farming, importing cattle and running a fertilizer business. He later wrote a book of his experiences entitled 'Flying High in Iowa'
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2073126
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: T-131306
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16087877
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Prisoner of war |
Dümmer, Germany | 2 March 1945 | |
Wellman, Iowa, USA | |||
Albia, IA 52531, USA |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 12849 / MACR 12849 (wrote book: 'Letters to Mom', on our shelves) / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database