From Horham Airfield in England

Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson's letter written on August 26th, 1944 from Horham Airfield, England.

In March of 1944 my father would complete his first mission with the 334th Sqaudron of the 95th Bomb Group. By the time he received the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) in late June 1944 they had completed their 25th, a No-Ball (an attack on V-1 & V-2 rocket installations hidden in the forest along the French coast) mission over France. Every year around this time I think of my dad as he began combat flying over Europe in March of 1944.

Then I think of my grandmother Clara, as she told me of her often constant worries about her son while he was in England. His dozens of letters home tried to comfort her fears and then in some most likely stoked her fears when he described some of the more distressful missions he had completed. In the end after 35 missions he was done with combat.

Even though he put in a transfer to fly the B-29 Super Fortress, something he never told his mother, he eventually did return home in 1945 all in one piece. That reunion I am sure was quite emotional. So to my grandmother Clara Amelia (Nelson) Erickson I post this letter as a tribute. I know for a fact she was thrilled beyond words to receive.

By late August of 1944 my father and crew awaited the day they would complete their last and final 35th mission. The cards laid out for that mission on August 26th, 1944 took a very uncertain last minute diversion. The previous day, my father's ship, the "Lili of the Lamplight," (44-6085) with another crew on-board had gone down over Poland. The Lili was no more and my father and crew were assigned to another ship to complete their final mission.

On August 26, 1944 aboard the B-17 "Stand By / “Goin’ My Way" (21072014) flying with the 334th Squadron, Ernest and crew finally completed their 35th and final mission.

On the mission the ten man crew were one B-17 of 359 that were dispatched to attack gun batteries in the Brest, France area. Specific targets were Brest/Pte de St Mathieu, the coastal batteries at Kerandieu, Cornovailles, Brest/Ile Longue, Brest/Kerviniov and Brest/Ponscorf.

Targets of opportunity were Brest/Pte des Espagnoles II & Brest/Pte des Espagnoles III. Three B-17s are damaged beyond repair and four damaged moderately. 18 airmen were killed in action, Fighter cover was provided by forty nine P-51s and one P-51 was lost.

By the time my father returned to Horham he knew he was done flying combat in England, yet he put in a transfer to fly the B-29 Super Fortress with the potential to be be flying combat in the Pacific. Ernest awaited what the Air Corps decision would be.