Einar Axel Malmstrom (July 14, 1907 – August 21, 1954) was a colonel in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

. He was a

P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

fighter pilot and commanding officer of the

356th Fighter Group The 356th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945. During World War II the g ...

of the

8th Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was shot down in 1944 and was a prisoner of war in

Stalag Luft I Stalag Luft I was a German World War II prisoner-of-war (POW) camp near Barth, Western Pomerania, Germany, for captured Allied airmen. The presence of the prison camp is said to have shielded the town of Barth from Allied bombing. About 9,000 ...

from April 1944 through May 1945.

National Guard

Malmstrom joined the

Washington National Guard The Washington National Guard is one of the four elements of the State of Washington's Washington Military Department and a component of the National Guard of the United States. It is headquartered at Camp Murray, Washington and is defined by ...

on May 12, 1929, and was commissioned a second lieutenant on May 25, 1931.

World War II

Malmstrom was called to active service as a first lieutenant on September 16, 1940, at Parkwater, Washington. He was sent to Europe in May 1943 and took command of the 356th Fighter Group at

RAF Martlesham Heath Royal Air Force Martlesham Heath or more simply RAF Martlesham Heath is a former Royal Air Force station located southwest of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. It was active between 1917 and 1963, and played an important role in the development o ...

. On April 24, 1944, he was shot down over France and taken prisoner by the German Army. He spent a year in captivity at

where he was American commander of the south compound. For this he was awarded a Bronze Star.

Cold War

Malmstrom returned to the U.S. in May 1945 and was assigned as Air Inspector for the 312th Base Unit in Barksdale, Louisiana, the XIX Tactical Air Command at

Biggs Field Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47) On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...

, Texas, and at Greenville, South Carolina. He was Deputy for Reserve Forces for the

9th Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

until August 1949 when he entered the Air War College. He was then a senior Air Force instructor at the Army War College. He was Director of Personnel at Lockbourne Air Force Base. In February 1954 he was assigned to Great Falls Air Force Base in Montana, as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing.

Death

Malmstrom was killed in a

Lockheed T-33 The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...

fighter jet crash near Great Falls Air Force Base in Montana on August 21, 1954.

Awards and honors

Malmstrom Air Force Base

Great Falls Air Force Base was renamed

Malmstrom Air Force Base Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. It is the home of the 341st Mis ...

in his honor in October 1955.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malmstrom, Einar Axel 1907 births 1954 deaths American people of Swedish descent Aviators from Illinois Military personnel from Illinois United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II American prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1954 Accidental deaths in Montana United States Army Air Forces colonels United States Air Force colonels Recipients of the Air Medal