Crew 17's original pilot was Lt L.F. Menz, but he was replaced during training.  His status is unknown. 

According to gunner Rene Neirynck, "The last part of our training at Tonopah was for the guunners to shoot at a sleeve target.  During our turn to shoot, the tow plane broke down so we missed the training.  Lt. Menz refused to go into combat without that training and was taken off Crew 17.  At the same time Lt. John Hejl, co-pilot, damaged his ears in training dives.  He was also taken off our crew.  Hejl was then put on twin-engine planes and sent to the Pacific area.  His plane and crew were lost in a typhoon over the Pacific Ocean.

"When the 458th shipped out from Tonopah to overseas, 500 pilots and crews were accidentally left behind.  We woke up the next day with no food, no Post Exchange - nothing!  One officer found out where we were supposed to go (Hamilton Field, CA) and we all headed there on our own.  We were given ten days to show up at Hamilton Field.  From that point on we were all shipped in small groups, and flown to Scotland by pilots ferrying planes to England."

2Lt Millard P. Schaaf, co-pilot on Crew 14, was assigned as first pilot for Crew 17 after Menz was relieved.  It appears that the crew was not assigned a regular co-pilot, as mission records and an accident report show different co-pilots.

"In regard to Peter Schaff being absent from combat for two weeks. Date April 29, 1944 mission to Berlin.  To the best of my memory, we returned to base early when 'Pete' (age about 21). suddenly developed a severe case of combat fatigue. Pete took off his oxygen mask and had about 10 minutes to live. Altitude about 30,000 feet. Pete sat on the floor below the top turret.

"The co-pilot called the radio man and asked him to give Pete oxygen from his mask and try to get him back in his pilots seat. Pete began to struggle with Paul and Paul dropped his mask. I could not leave my turret to help (top turret), so the co-pilot called the first engineer in the waist section to come and help. Joe grabbed a walk-around 8 minute oxygen bottle and helped Paul to get Pete in his seat and hooked up to oxygen again. The first engineer, Joe, stayed behind Pete just in case something happened to the co-pilot. Both engineers could fly the plane but we could not land it. From there on Pete just sat there like a zombie. When we got back to England, Pete was placed on two weeks R&R and came back fit as a fiddle. No more problems after that one."

This was the mission on which the brakes on the crew's aircraft "Nokkish" failed and they went off the runway (see accident report below).