Fortunes of time and memory comes around sometimes and they have again for my father
Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson of the 95th Bombardment Group and 334th Squadron. After many
decades his 1943 / 1944 leather A-2 Air Corps jacket has returned to Horham Airfield in
England.
Below is one of the photographs Quentin Brundle of the 95th in England took at the 95th Bomb
Group Memorials Foundation Museum at the Red Feather Club. Many thanks to Quentin and
others at Horham for the beautiful display of my father's jacket, his photographs and the other
items. My father's spirit again takes to the skies over the English landscape of Eye, Diss
and Horham.
My family is very grateful to the 95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation for acquiring
the jacket in 2016. Along with that they accepted early this year the donation of my father's
flight goggles, cap and flight bag bearing the 8th Air Corps patch. All this can been seen in
the below photographs of the display at the museum at Horham. I encourage anyone interested
in the 8th Air Force to visit the airfield.
Much appreciation has to go to Phil Samponaro of the 95th in the states who has assisted me
countless times over the years in gaining new insights into the 95th and other details concerning
my father's involvement with the Air Corps between 1942 and 1945. His support in the Archive
Project I am deeply involved in presently is greatly appreciated.
The Archive Project of Lt. Erickson's myriad of photographs, letters and documents can be seen
in the dozen or so pages on this site.
Phil facilitated the acquisition of the A-2 jacket for Horham and was instrumental in my
excitement and confidence gained in the 95th to donate further items to the group.
Lt. Erickson was stationed at Horham Airfield between February through late October 1944.
He was a B-17 pilot and accomplished 35 missions between March 27th and August 26th, 1944.
The ship he often called, "his Lucky Lady," was the 'Lili of the Lamplight' (44-6085) in which he
flew 15 of his last 16 missions aboard. His final mission on August 26th, 1944 was piloting the ship
'Stand By / Goin' My Way' (42-107204). Unfortunately with another crew aboard the 'Lili of the Lamplight'
was shot down on a mission over Politz, Germany and crashed into Poland on August 25th, 1944.
Three crew members were killed and seven were captured by the Germans, spending the duration
of their service as prisoners of war.
Below are Mick Stannard and Darren Smith of the 95th in England accepting the A-2 jacket from
Phil at the October 4th, 2017 reunion in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Here are the names and numbers of the twelve ships piloted by Lt. Erickson between March
and September of 1944 out of Horham Airfield, England.
'Lili of the Lamplight' (44-6085) * 'Taint A Bird II' (42-30342) * 'Fireball Red' (42-31876) 'Able
Mable' (42-31920) * 'The Doodle Bug / What’s Cookin?' (42-107047) * 'Gen'ril Oop & Lili Brat
(42-31993) 'To Hell Or Glory (42-38123) * 'Ten Aces' (42-38178) * 'Smilin' Sandy Sanchez'
(42-97290) 'Paisano' (42-102450) * 'Mirandy' (42-31992) * 'Stand By / Goin' My Way' (42-107204)
