850th/857th BS
Curran Crew
The Curran Crew are pictured here at Mountain Home, spring of 1944. The plane (B24-H 42-94856), "Lady Keesler" was left at Eye after the squadron was selected for Harrington operations.Standing, L-R:
Raymond E.Schmidt - Aerial Gunner
Alvah N. Winfield - Bombardier
Warren E.Campbell - Navigator
Thomas I. Colkett, Jr. - Co-Pilot
Thomas S. Curran, Jr. - Pilot
Robert M. Campbell - ROM Gunner
Kneeling, L-R:
Harold R. Johnson - Aerial Gunner
Richard A. McConihe - Armorer Gunner (Orphaned)
Stanley J. Janik - Aerial Gunner
Joseph T. Perna - Engineer Gunner (Orphaned)
Nose art courtesy of Tom Brittan.
Picture and names credit: Steve Colkett
Combat Period: May 1944 - February 1945
Status: Original 490th BG crew, arrived at Harrington at the end of May 1944. By the end of Operations in September they had 28 missions, too few to return to the ZI. Their stay was extended into February of 1945.
Preferred Aircraft: B24J 42-50669 P
Missions from August 1944 (All French targets) Mission Reports.
Pilot MR# Date Target Aircraft Curran
1390
3
Messenger 29
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1451
5
Francis 2C
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1464
7
Percy 29A
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1492
9
Paul 69
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1535
10
Pedlar 1
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1569
12
Ventriloquist 53
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1656
15
Fireman 11K
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1669
16
Gondolier 13
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1714
18
Messenger 29
B24J 42-50669 P
Curran
1781
28
Citronelle 6
B24J 42-50669 P
The aircraft was probably not named or painted. Fate unknown, it disappears from sight after November of 1944.
Aircraft Details Credit: Tom Brittan
