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Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson after Berlin mission at Horham Airfield in the UK- May 1944, standing below B-17 "Lily of the Lamplight." (44-6085)
Mark Jon Erickson©2016
c/o Mark Erickson Studio http://markerickson.com/Family_History/FH/
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B-17G 44-6085 334th BS, 95th BG, 8th AF USAAF.
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Article printed in the Bismarck Tribune October 5, 1944 on Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson (pilot) 95th BG - 334th Squandron (44-6085) "Lili of the Lamplight.".
c/o Mark Erickson Studio http://markerickson.com/Family_History/FH/
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Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson (pilot) 334th Sq.
Complete B-17 (35) Mission List
Twelve B-17s flown list March 27th through August 26th, 1944
Horham Airfield, England
c/o Mark Erickson Studio http://markerickson.com/Family_History/FH/
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The crew of the B-17 (44-6085) the "Lili of the Lamplight." Horham Airfield May 1944
Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson upper right
For the book (An Aviator’s Dream - The Man From Painted Woods) Mostly photos and articles on my father, Lt Ernest Anders Erickson, I am assembling, have spent a lot of time researching the fate of his last ship.
Erickson flew for his final 15 missions, aboard (44-6085) the "Lili of the Lamplight," from May 31st (his 20th mission) to August 12, 1944, when he completed his 34th mission.)
It was painted on his leather bomber jacket, also mentioned in letters, he wrote during the war, and one specifically scribed on August 4th 1944, (his 22nd birthday)
about the naming of the ship. A framed newspaper article hung in his office at Lockheed’s Skunk Works from Oct 1944 mentioning their ship #’d (44-6085) as the
"Lili of the Lamplight".
Unfortunately the name was never painted on the plane, but plans were underfoot, and then, very sadly the Lily went down on August 25th, 1944, a day before my dad’s final 35th mission on August 26, 1944. The Lilli of the Lamplight (44-6085) was delivered Tulsa 27/4/44; Kearney 7/5/44; Dow Fd 21/5/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-H] Horham 23/5/44; 334BS [BG-S]; 26m, Missing in Action Rechlin 25/8/44 with Albt Powell, Co-pilot: Bill Connor, Navigator: Don Overdorff, Bombardier: Phil Whalen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Eldred Steffens, Radio Operator: Peppe Delio, Waist gunner: Henry Schneider (7 Prisoner of War); Ball turret gunner: Orlin Covel, Tail gunner: Melvin Whilhelm [broke ankle], ph-Berton Briley (3 Killed in Action); flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on way down losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 8279.
Service
Units
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Group
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...
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People
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Photographer | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 17 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany Killed...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Alerbert Powell crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 12 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany....
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Albert Powell crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany....
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
An Aviator's Dream: The Man From Painted Woods
...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Albert Powell crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany....
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Military | Colonel | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Albert Powell crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany....
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Albert Powell crew. 35 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Albert Powell crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Rechlin in B-17 44-6085 25-Aug-44; flak hit #3 & 4 feathered, on descent losing a wing before disintegrating, crashed Schwabach-Schwankenheim, near Stettin, Germany....
Show more
Places
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Military site : airfield
Horham airfield was planned and built for RAF use, but handed over to the Eighth Air Force and used initially by the 47th Bomb Group. When they joined the Twelfth Air Force in January 1943, it became home to the B-26 Marauders of the 323rd Bomb Group....
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Crashed |
Schwabach, Germany |
25 August 1944 – 25 August 1944 |
For the book (An Aviator’s Dream - The Man From Painted Woods) Mostly photos and articles on my father, Lt Ernest Anders Erickson, I am assembling, have spent a lot of time researching the fate of his last ship.
Erickson flew for his final 15 missions, aboard (44-6085) the "Lili of the Lamplight," from May 31st (his 20th mission) to August 12, 1944, when he completed his 34th mission.)
It was painted on his leather bomber jacket, also mentioned in letters, he wrote during the war, and one specifically scribed on August 4th 1944, (his 22nd birthday)
about the naming of the ship. A framed newspaper article hung in his office at Lockheed’s Skunk Works from Oct 1944 mentioning their ship #’d (44-6085) as the
"Lili of the Lamplight."
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