William P Erickson

Military

Served as Bombardier on B-17F #41-24494 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France, 9 November 1942 Killed in Action (KIA). Reported hit by 20mm flak shell above the target. On return, the aircraft crashed into field beyond runway. Erickson was only crew member killed on the plane.

Connections

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Units served with

306th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

367th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

41-24494

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron

Missions

VIII Bomber Command 18

Date: 9 November 1942
Official Description:

Places

A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'

Thurleigh

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Bedford

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Massachusetts, USA	15 February 1918
Other Killed in Action (KIA)	Saint-Nazaire, France	9 November 1942	Killed when struck by a 20mm shell over the target at St. Nazaire, France.
Buried	Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA		Blue Hill Cemetery

Event

Location

Date

Description

Born

Massachusetts, USA

15 February 1918

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Saint-Nazaire, France

9 November 1942

Killed when struck by a 20mm shell over the target at St. Nazaire, France.

Buried

Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA

Blue Hill Cemetery

Revisions

Date2 Mar 2021 20:41:24

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added punctuation to the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date28 Feb 2021 19:46:30

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added a S/N per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 117235517.

Date28 Feb 2021 19:43:47

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Updated the Buried event and Added a Born event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 117235517.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117235517/william-p.-erickson

Date28 Nov 2014 17:32:00

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 28-Nov-2014. Entry based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:28:35

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Info From French, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs by Hey and Bishop p.45