m a r k e r i c k s o n p a i n t i n g s Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson Air Corps 1942 - 1945
Click to view Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson's complete thirty five mission list and twelve B-17 Flying Fortresses flown between March 27th thru August 26th, 1944 out of Horham Airfield, England.
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My father Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson kept many things from his years in the Air Corps. It's a truly amazing collection of photographs, documents, equipment and hundreds of letters and postcards. He often sent home things to his folks in Bismarck, North Dakota between 1942 and 1945, his years in the Air Corps. In late 1943 through 1945 he piloted various planes and after his combat flying became a flight instructor. From February through October 1944 Ernest Anders piloted B-17s out of Horham Airfield in England with the 95th Bomb Group (Heavy) on thirty five missions over German occupied Europe. His parents Clara and Frank Erickson kept everything safe and sound that they received for decades. My dad retrieved much of the collection and I certainly enjoyed seeing the photographs whenever I had the opportunity. After my father passed in 2013 I began to seriously delve into this incredible archive. Much of it I have already posted here on this site. Along the way of archiving my father's collection I came across a thick envelope of 'The Stars and Stripes' newspapers that contained thirty copies dating from March 29th through August 28th, 1944. These dates coincide with Ernest Anders thirty five missions that he and crew accomplished between March 27th and their final and 35th mission on August 26th, 1944. Below are details of my father's 6th mission, a No Ball (V-1 Installations) mission over St. Omer and Cherbourg, France piloting the B-17- 'Fireball Red' (42-31876) on April 20th, 1944. Also featured below are his hand written mission notes from that day.
Merry Christmas Lt. Erickson: The front page of The Stars and Stripes Newspaper dated April 21st, 1944 reported the previous days 8th Air Force heavy bombing activities along the coast of France that Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson and crew contributed a successful bombing run with the 334th Squadron.
The headlines read with quite a splash the recent activity of the Allieds:
Ernest Anders piloted B-17s out of Horham Airfield The target was a No Ball (V-1 installation) situated south of the village, located ten miles southeast of Abbeville. It was a ski shaped launching ramp for V-1 bombs. Other units of the Eighth attacked other installations in the Calais and Cherbourg areas. The Group used a new twelve plane formation, and dispatched two boxes on its target. The A box was led by Captain William F. Smith as Air Commander and Lt. J. L. Smith was the pilot. The B box was led by Major George C. Hozier as Air Commander and Captain Jerry Godfrey was pilot. Take off was late in the afternoon, at 1615. Bombing results were good, with the bomb pattern centering within two hundred feet of MPI (Mean Point of Impact). Flak was moderate but accurate. One anti aircraft shell hit the Deputy Lead plane of the B box, piloted by Lt. Walter S. Milne, at the radio compartment, and exploded inside. The remnants of the craft plummeted nose down. Only two of the crew survived the crash. Eleven aircraft from the A box and eight craft of the B box sustained damage. The aircraft broke apart between the tail wheel and the waist door. The craft hit the ground with a terrific explosion. Four of the crew parachuted to safety. |
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