Who was Lt Grier 302nd FS/332nd FG in August 1944?

[Russell]

Hello everyone,

On 30th August 1944 the 332nd FG strafed an aerodrome in Rumania making a lot of claims . One of the claimers was listed in the attachment to the mission report as being a Lt Grier of the 302nd Squadron who claimed 2 Do 217 destroyed. I cannot find any other reference to a Lt Grier in the records or online data on the 332nd or as a Tuskeegee airman and am wondering did he belong to the Group, or was he on the sortie from somewhere else? If he was a member of the 332nd what were his first names?

Regards

Russell

[Buckeye30]

Hi Russell. There was a F/O James W GREER (T67969) from Detroit MI, class SE-44-J Tuskegee AAF 28/12/44; on the "cafriseabove.org" roster. But note the graduation date.


Regards
Nick

[Alex Smart]

Oddly the claims list has zero claims for the 332ndFG on August 30th '44.
See - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAFHS/
Scroll down to "85"

Alex

[Russell]

Hi All

Yes I have seen the F/O Grier referred to, but as you say he graduated four months later so cannot be flying on ops in August. As to no claims in Study 85, they did not cover ground claims, I should have made it clear these were two of the 80 or so ground claims made on the 30th by the 332nd. A good 40 plus pilots claimed, the only one I cant track any further is Grier.

Cheers

Russell

[Leendert]

Just a hunch. I wonder if among the names of the (40 plus) claimants on 30 Aug 1944 there's (also) the name of Lt. (William W.) Green (Jr.). His name appears as pilot of 302nd FS on the list Alex in #3 referred to with credits in the right timeframe.
Could Grier be Green instead? Later in 1944 Lt Green went back to EFTC Tuskegee.

Leendert

[Russell]

Leendert

William Green Jr is also on the list, so its unlikely to be him. I am beginning to think the most likely person is 1/Lt Weldon Kenneth Groves who was present on 302 Sqn in July and Aug 1944. He is not on the list of claimers and Grier & Groves are not dissimilar in length etc.

Regards

Russell