Jack Reiter

Who is Jack Reiter?

Jack Reiter, was a Colonel in the US Air Force, lawyer and businessman.

He was born in New York State, and excelled at sports winning championships in boxing and swimming. He later attended New York University where he received a law degree.

He had an interest in flying and during World War II Colonel Reiter served as a B-24 Liberator Consolidated B-24 Liberator pilot in the Army Air Forces, flying over North Africa and Italy. He was shot down over Foggia in Italy in 1943 and taken prisoner by the Germans. He was sent to an Italian prison hospital as he had dislocated both his thighs on landing. He later escaped from the hospital before his legs were properly mended when he learned he was being moved to Germany.

He had managed to get fairly fit but his thighs were still partly dislocated. He lived with the partisans in the Apennines for some months. He joined up with a group of British officers who had escaped from Castello di Vincigliata prison PG 12 camp during the Italian Armistice in September 1943. They included Brigadier ‘Rudolf’ Vaughan, Lieutenant-Colonel John Combe, Brigadier ‘Ted’ Todhunter, Captain Guy Ruggles-Brise and Lieutenant, ‘Dan’ Ranfurly,. In March 1944 with the help of Italian guides they made an astonishing 250 mile walk across the mountains to keep a rendezvous with agents on the coast. The travelling was difficult through snow, and the efforts of ‘Rudolph’ Vaughan with his game leg and Jack Reiter with his dislocated thighs became an inspiration to them all.