The 483rd Bomb Group Archive

Serviceman

Germany Cottbus

817thHQ

Play his story on the map built from his record

Army serial number
36524480
Rank
S/Sgt (30 October 1943), S/Sgt (20 December 1943), S/Sgt (2 February 1944), Sgt (22 March 1945)
Sources
macr-crew, morning-report
Flags. known only from an OCR crew list; name may be misread

Aboard a lost aircraft

Morning reports

8 entries, first 30 October 1943, last 31 July 1944; grades seen: S/Sgt. The clerk's sentence is quoted as the machine read it from microfilm: "fr dy to DS" is from duty to detached service, "sk in hosp" sick in hospital, "asgd & jd" assigned and joined.

National Archives pages: roll 452798688 p. 19, roll 452798688 p. 225, roll 453519128 p. 755, roll 458053820 p. 216, roll 463205991 p. 698, roll 474605897 p. 1, roll 474606898 p. 139, roll 565963497 p. 1946

Statements, mentions and histories

Eyewitness statement, page 28 · 22 March 1945
AFPPA-11
INDIVIDUAL CÁSUALTY /QUESTIONNAIRE
13253
Name of member: COTTHAN Raymond E.
d
Rank:
T/Sgt.
Serial number:
12052225
Position: Crow (Bomber)
RG.
Did he bail out?
Yes
Where?
Over Cottbus, Germany
If not, why not?
Last contact or conversation just prior to or at time of loss of plane:
Routine
conversation in bomber
Was he injured? Yes
Where was he when last seen? On Farm outside of Cottbus Ger
Any hearsay information: None
Source:
MAGRICE N. NAKUS
Any explanation of his fate based in part, or wholly on supposition: I saw
him yingon ground. Ask Germans if he was dead, I bey
said he was. He was bleed-sacked from waist line
to the rear of his Knees
Total number of missions of above crew member: App. 26
Dates and destinations if possible: Unknown
6-3861, AF

National Archives, MACR 13253, page 28 · Machine-read from microfilm, uncorrected.

Casualty questionnaire, page 23: JOSEPESOS Richard C · 22 March 1945
AFPPA-11
File No 13254
INDIVIDUAL CASUALTY QUESTIONNAIRE
Name of crew member:
JOSEPESOS Richard C.
Rank:
s/sgt
Serial number:
36 833 011
Position: Crew (Bomber)
LW
Did he bail out? Yes - just before me.
Where?
Just beyond Target area (Ruhland 0/R) toward Russian lines, near Cottbus, Ger.
If not, why not?
Last contact or conversation just prior to or at time of loss of plane: At Right Waist
gun pesition after bomb-bay doors closed and duties at camera position in radio'room
completed, until we bailed out after bits by E/A and our A/C Started going down.
Was he injured?
Not while in v/c.
Where was he when last seen? In air about 6,000 ft until he hit ground.
Any hearsay information:
none
Source:
Any explanation of his fate based in pirt or wholly on supposition: After bail=out
and upon decending to approx. 1,000-2,000 ft I heard rifle fire from the area below
and it appeared that German civilians were shooting at us. Am quite sure.as I neared
ground that a couple came olose to me as I remember the whisz noise they made. I
believe s/sgt JOSEPHSON was shot in the above manner as when he hit ground he folded up
and as "Big did Joes not nove $/Sgt ert LBF and I saw his glothes wirkoh
Total number of missions of above crew member:
JOSEPHSON which were covered with blood. Clothes were brought
unknown.
into house where they herded us just after capture.
Dates and destinations if possible: Mar 22, 1945 - Ruhland O/R - Hit ground near
Cottbus, Germany after bail-out.
6-3861, AF

National Archives, MACR 13254, page 23 · Machine-read from microfilm, uncorrected.

Know something about him?

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