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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The invasion of mainland Europe by the Allies is well underway and the 8th Air Force continues deep into late June and early July with it's continued assault on German oil refineries, armaments manufacturing and marshaling yards. By July 7th, 1944 Lt. Erickson had completed 27 missions of his eventual 35. 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 Lt. Erickson's 25th, 26th and 27th missions over Nanteuil and Salesman, France and Kolleda and Merseberg, Germany. Also added is a photograph of Lt. Erickson receiving the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) awarded to him by Major General Karl Truesdell Jr. at Horham Airfield in England, June 1944. The front page of The Stars and Stripes Newspaper dated July 8th, 1944 reports 8th Air Force activities deep into Germany striking oil refineries and airfields. Other actions in France and Germany are reported. Lt. Erickson and crew flying the B-17 'Lili of the Lamplight' (44-6085) contributed along with the 334th Squadron on mission pertaining to the reports.
The headlines read:
Mission #25 - June 23, 1944 During the late afternoon, 109 B-17s are dispatched to Nanteuil. 13 hit the primary and 2 hit targets of opportunity. The rest abort due to heavy cloud cover. 1 B-17 is lost and 2 are damaged. 1 airman wounded in action and 10 missing in action. Of 219 B-24s dispatched to airfields in France, 113 hit Juvincourt, 46 hit Laon/Athies, 23 hit Coulommiers and 1 hits Soissons. 6 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 81 are damaged. 1 airman is killed in action , 3 wounded in action and 58 are missing in action. Escort is provided by 155 P-47s and 83 P-51s. Afterwards part of a P-47 group bombs and strafes a marshaling yard while the remainder of the group bombs and strafes a train carrying trucks and armored cars, destroying the locomotive, 3 trucks, and an armored car, and damaging 20 freight cars. 169 of 195 P-38s fly fighter-bomber missions in the Paris area. 2 P-38s are lost (pilots are missing in action). 21 B-24s fly Carpetbagger missions (aerial supply of weapons and other material to French Resistance Fighters) in France during the night.
Mission #26 - June 25, 1944 During the midday 463 bombers are dispatched to targets in France. 6 bombers are lost; escort is provided by 127 P-38s, 35 P-47s and 181 P-51s. Fighters claim 4-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft. 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is missing in action). Of 274 B-24s, 63 hit Villacoublay air depot, 35 hit Bretigny Airfield and 11 hit Buc Airfield. 5 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 104 damaged; 11 airmen are killed in action, 7 wounded in action and 59 MIA. Of 189 B-17s, 70 hit Soigny Bridge, 38 hit Sens Bridge, 28 hit Clamecy, 21 hit Auxerre Bridge, 21 hit Nanteuil, 20 hit Nogent, 18 hit Orly Airfield, 13 hit Romilly-sur-Seine, 12 hit Etampes/Mondesir Airfield, 12 hit Folous and 3 hit Orly marshaling yard. 1 B-17 is lost and 20 damaged. 2 airmen are wounded in action and 19 are missing in action. 41 of 43 P-47s fly a flight-bomber mission against Evreux/Fauville landing ground. 24 B-24s fly Carpetbagger missions (aerial supply of weapons and other material to French Resistance Fighters) in France during the night.
Mission #27 - July 7, 1944 Of 303 B-17s, 64 hit Bohlen and 51 hit Merseburg oil plants, 67 hit Kolleda and 32 hit Lutzkendorf Airfields, 22 hit targets of opportunity and 16 hit Gottingen marshaling yard. 2 B-17s are lost and 112 damaged. 3 airmen are wounded in action and 20 airmen are reported as missing in action. Escort is provided by 185 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s. Fighters claim 9-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the airand 3-0-1 on the ground. 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost (pilots are missing in action). Of 453 B-17s, 114 hit Leipzig/Taucha, 79 hit Leipzig/Mockau, 35 hit Leipzig/Heiterblick and 35 hit Kolleda Airfield, 15 hit Leipzig/Abtnaundorf oil plants, 46 hit Leipzig bearing industry, 19 hit Leipzig Station and 7 hit Nordhausen. 7 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 152 damaged. 15 airmen are killed in action, 5 wounded in action and 50 airmen are reported missing in action. Escort is provided by 247 P-47s and P-51s. Fighters claim 20-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground. 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair (pilot is wounded in action). 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Belgium during the night. 19 B-24s participate Carpetbagger missions (aerial supply of weapons and other material to Resistance Fighters) in France and Germany. |
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