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.

The front page of The Stars and Stripes Newspaper dated May 20th, 1944 reported the previous days 8th Air Force bombing over Berlin, Germany and intense air battles with the Luftwaffe.

Lt. Erickson and crew were on leave during this time, but would return to combat flying to complete their 15th Mission on May 24th over Berlin, Germany flying the B-17 'Ten Aces' (42-38178).

The headline reads:
Berlin Blasted As Air Offensive Resumes
Brunswick Also Hit; Heavy Battles With Luftwaffe Indicated
Germans Tell Of Fierce Aerial Fighting; Early Reports Hint U.S. Planes Took Big Toll Of Nazis

Also a photograph below of my grandmother Clara Amelia (Nelson) Erickson and her son Ernest Anders at home at 801 Jefferson Avenue in Bismarck, North Dakota in October of 1943. My dad was visiting his folks on leave after graduating from Advanced Flight Training at Blackland Field. In two months he would be off to Horham Airfield in England to begin his combat flying.

In March of 1944 my father would complete his first mission and 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 in March 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 photograph of her and my dad beaming at their first of two reunions. 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.