Taber, Robin Everett

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Taber, Robin Everett ‡ ⇗
Rank	Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number	O-663429 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per 547th Bomb Squadron unit history, effective 27 January 1943. Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #49, effective 15 July 1943.
Duty	Navigator
MOS	1034 - Navigator
Last Duty Date	12 August 1943
Results	Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser) 49-11
Additional Information	Promoted to First Lieutenant on 20 March 1943 per 547th Bomb Squadron Unit History. As a POW, he was transferred to a hospital in Poland, due to some severe mental or physical problems that he experienced at Stalag Luft III, and was subsequetly repatriated on the Swedish vessel Gripsholm in June or July of 1944.
Related Documents	Missing Air Crew Report # 287⇓ (21.188 MB)
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
545^th BOMB SQUADRON MODEL CREW
The first combat crew assigned to the squadron.
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
1st Lt. Smith, James William⇗	Pilot	POW
2nd Lt. Keck, George Blackburn⇗	Co-pilot	KIA
2nd Lt. Taber, Robin Everett	Navigator	POW
2nd Lt. Meyers, Francis Joseph, Jr⇗	Bombardier	POW
S/SGT. Reichwein, John Joseph⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Buckley, Robert Harrison⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	KIA
SGT. Jones, Lynn Tilton⇗	Ball Turret Gunner	POW
SGT. Igou, William Fredrick, "Bill"⇗	Tail Gunner	POW
SGT. MacArthur, Stanley William⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW
PFC. Pratt, David Alan⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW

Crew History

The James W Smith Crew was the first one to be assigned to the 547th BS of the 384th BG at Wendover - becoming its "Model Crew" and "Crew 71" (crew #1 of the 547th) - on 27 January 1943, joining Pratt who had arrived the day prior.

Co-pilot Keck was later given his own crew, #77, and was replaced by Robert B Kilmer, Jr., a pilot who had arrived with a new crew on 11 March 1943.

The Smith Crew, less Kilmer, Taber, and Igou, were shot down on its second mission, and Buckley was KIA. All the remainder were POW - which later was the fate of the remaining member of the crew who did not fly that mission.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 6 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
4⇗	28 June 1943	Target: Fighter Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Beaumont-le-Roger, France	Navigator	42‑3230⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
7⇗	10 July 1943	Target: Drucat Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Abbeville, France	Navigator	42‑3231⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
10⇗	25 July 1943	Target: Blohm & Voss Aircraft Works and Shipyard Type: Industry Location: Hamburg, Germany	Navigator	42‑30139⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
11⇗	28 July 1943	Target: Aircraft Engine Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Kassel, Germany	Navigator	42‑3231⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
12⇗	29 July 1943	Target: Naval Base Type: Military Location: Kiel, Germany	Navigator	42‑3216⇗	Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. Sortie Report⇗
14⇗	12 August 1943	Target: Synthetic Fuel Hydrogenation Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Navigator	42‑3231⇗	Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Damaged by enemy aircraft, crashed [SE of] Liblar, Germany. MACR 287 Sortie Report⇗

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