Josephson Crew – Assigned 752nd Squadron – August 10, 1944

2Lt Frank Josephson and his crew were assigned to the 458th on August 10, 1944.  Their first mission was on August 26th, and they completed three more prior to the group being removed from combat operations in mid-September to participate in Operation: Truckin’, the transportation of gasoline to Patton’s Army in France.  Josephson flew on six of these gas haul flights.  They resumed combat flying in October.

For some reason, after flying nine missions in two months, this crew flew only two in November.  They appear to have returned to a fairly regular schedule after this, flying  five or six missions per month until March, when they completed their tour of 35 credited sorties.

The crew picture above was taken in late March 1945 after the completion of their tour.  Not all original members are pictured, and one, S/Sgt William L. French, was not assigned with the crew the previous August.  He was an individual replacement, arriving in the 752nd Squadron about three weeks after Josephson and crew came to Horsham.

Lt Ward L. Walhay was transferred to the crew of Lt Charles Mitchell in the 755th Squadron to act as lead bombardier; and Sgt Carl Hein was transferred to the crew of Lt Robert Lehr in November 1944.  The reason for this last move is unknown.

While no records are available showing any of the crew receiving the DFC, a notation for Frank Josephson in the March 1945 records for the 752nd Squadron states that his “Crew completed combat tour”.

An Eighth Air Force Liberator Station, England:  Technical Sgt. Otto A. Gust, (Front row, fourth from left) of Union City, N.J., is the Radio Operator of Lt. Josephson’s crew, which won the skeet shooting tournament held at the air base of the 458th Bombardment Group recently.  In a process of elimination between all flying crews, they scored 110 points out of a possible 125 to be declared the Skeet Champs of the group.

Sgt. Gust, who is the son of Mrs. Frieda Malvano, 225 Roosevelt St., Union City, N.J., has flown on 35 bombing missions as a Radio Operator on a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber, with the 458th Bomb. Group and has been awarded the Air Medal and four Oak Leaf Clusters.  A few of the prominent targets include, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Magdeburg.  Prior to his entrance into the Armed Forces in April 1943 he was employed by the Union News Co. of Weehawitch, N.J.  He has been overseas since June 1944 and is a graduate of the 1942 class of Union Hill High School in Union City.

The others in the photo, (Front Row, L. to R.) S/Sgt. James R. Noblett, Matador, Texas; S/Sgt John Sipes, Indianapolis, Ind.; S/Sgt Elden S. Gebaroff, Seattle, Wash.; T/Sgt Otto A. Gust, Union City, N.J.; (Back Row, L. to R. ) 1st Lt, Leslie P. Arnberger, Phoenix, Ariz.; T/Sgt Lloyd V. Lawson, Brockton, Mass.; S/Sgt. William L. French, Chapel, Va.; and 1st Lt. Frank A. Josephson, Minneota, Minn.

The 458th Bombardment Group, which is a part of the Second Air Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. William E. Kepner, completed more that 200 combat missions over enemy targets in the European Theater of Operations.

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