Tallant - #21
Standing L-R: Tallant, William H. (P); Stephenson, Edmund F. (B); Kurzberg, Harold (N); Ives, John (2nd E/TG); Everhart, Arthur C. (Asst. RO/WG)
Kneeling L-R: Duzan, Fred C. Jr. (BG); Brown, Harold D. (CP); Tait, Paul (E/TT); Hagen, James P. (RO/WG)
Kurzberg did not go overseas due to A/C accident.
Tait transferred to Crew 28.
This comes from Harold D. Brown:
The picture was taken at Gowen Field, Idaho or Wendover Field Utah. I can't remember which one.
Lt. Tallant, pilot, was a grad from West Point and was destined to move up in rank and responsibility. When we arrived at Hammer Field, he was promoted to operations and our crew was assigned a new pilot named Smith. Can you imagine a crew with pilot and co-pilot named Smith and Brown?
On 23 December 1943 our crew was involved in a accident on a round robin training flight from Hammer. During the flight we lost the no. 4 engine. Prop ran away, could not be feathered, engine broke away from plane and we had to bail out. Lt. Smith broke his leg on landing. Lt. Kursberg sustained head injury, Sgt. Tate, engineer & top turret gunner had a cut on his forehead, Sgt. Hagen sprained both ankles. I was the only one without a scratch, Thank God.
Our crew was broken up and shipped to Italy with ground crews.
Sgt. Ives Tail Gunner
At the time of the picture, we were missing the tenth member of our crew. I never saw the men of our crew after our stay at Blythe Air Force Base hospital. They were assigned to other crews.
I was transferred to the 764th Squadron as co-pilot for crew #7 which was Lt. Veluva's crew but on 3 July 1944 I was co-pilot for Lt Max Lucas, his co-pilot was ill and we ended up in Yugoslovia for three and a half months M.I.A. I was sent back to the states for re-assignment.
H. D. Brown