Elmer E Kalfsbeek

Military
media-46215.jpeg UPL 46215 Back Row - Left to Right T/Sgt. Andrew Muzik, Radio (POW 21 May 43); 2nd Lt. Ed Reynolds, Bombardier; 1st Lt. Norm Retchin, Pilot (POW 21 May 43); 2nd Lt. Stan Dahlman, Co-pilot (KIA 17 Aug 43); 2nd Lt. Bob Paulson, Navigator
Front Row - Left to Right S/Sgt. Joe Wing, Waist Gunner (KIA 21 May 43); S/Sgt. Charles Huber, Waist Gunner (POW 21 May 43); T/Sgt. Elmer Kalfsbech, Top Turret Gunner (POW 21 May 43); S/Sgt. Cloren Meade, Ball Turret Gunner (POW 21 May 43); S/Sgt. John Conrad, Tail Gunner (POW 21 May 43)

Retchin's Wretches - This crew joined the 323rd Squadron 4 April 1943 and posed for this photo on 9 April 1943. It was the third replacement crew to arrive in the 323rd. It was part of the Harris Provisional Group that arrived in England in mid-March. They had traveled the Southern route and left the states on 27 Feb 1943. This was the 59th crew trained at Bovingdon in March 1943. The crews were distributed among the original combat groups. The crew posed in front of 42-29559 (Stupntakit). They were flying in s/n 657 when seven of these crewmen were shot down over Wilhelmshaven on 21 May 1943. Lt. Dahlman was KIA on the Schweinfurt Raid 17 Aug 1943 flying on Stupntakit.

Object Number - UPL 46215 - Back Row - Left to Right T/Sgt. Andrew Muzik, Radio (POW 21 May 43); 2nd Lt. Ed Reynolds, Bombardier; 1st Lt. Norm Retchin, Pilot (POW 21 May 43);...

Shot down 21 May 1943 in B-17 #42-29657, Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to the A/C #42-29657 listed in the "Summary biography".
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor,Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 p. 129

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