My father Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson standing below the B-17 (42-97858) "Lady Fortune (Carmen’s Folly)" at Horham Airfield in England in June of 1944. He was a pilot of the B-17, "Lili of the Lamplight" (44-6085) with the 334th Squadron.

Wearing his recently painted A-2 jacket Ernest looks quite pleased to pose for the photograph. He and the crew had completed their 19th through 26th missions during the month of June. Only nine to go to get his thirty five. They would complete their final 35th mission on August 26th on a mission over Brest, France.

Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson 35th mission details:
359 B-17s are dispatched to attack gun batteries in the Brest, France area; targets are Brest/Pte de St Mathieu and coastal batteries at Kerandieu, Cornovailles, Brest/Ile Longue, Brest/Kerviniov and Brest/Ponscorf ; targets of opportunity are Brest/Pte des Espagnoles II, Brest/Pte des Espagnoles III; Three B-17s are damaged beyond repair and four damaged; 18 airmen are killed in action. Escort fighters for the mission were provided by 49 P-51s; one P-51 is lost.

Below photo is the crews entire 35 mission list and 12 B-17s flown from March through September of 1944.