44-6085 Lili of the Lamplight
Mark Jon Erickson©2016
c/o Mark Erickson Studio http://markerickson.com/Family_History/FH/ Ernest Anders Erickson collection
I am his son, Mark Jon Erickson. I have all his records, archives, photos etc.
Here at this site you can see some of his Air Corps photographs. More will be posted
March 2016
I hold all copyrights on all photos etc i post here.
Object Number - UPL 20623 - 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...
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.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17009057
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Photographer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-822384
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15118784
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19100775
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-693852
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Missions
- Date: 25 August 1944
- Date: 24 August 1944
- Date: 15 August 1944
- Date: 12 August 1944
- Date: 8 August 1944
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Crashed Failed to Return (FTR) |
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." |
Revisions
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 8279 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
I am Mark Jon Erickson, son of and biographer of Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson. Lt. Erickson was a pilot with the 95th Bomb Group of of Horham Airfierld. He flew 35 missions in 1944 with the 334th Squadron. All information I post here is backed by documents
and first hand knowledge of each specific item or photograph. A comprehensive website has been set up on my father's activities in the Air Corps from 1942-1945, here at: http://markerickson.com/Family_History/Ernest_Erickson/
I can be contacted at [email protected]
Added a space in front of the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” for clarity. Also spaces in other places in the A/C “Description” for clarity.
My father, Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson (95thBG) was a pilot aboard the "Lili of the Lamplight
(44-6085) and eleven other B-17s from March through September 1944. He flew all his 35
missions out of Horham Airfield in the UK. I am using his Horham crew photograph as my profile photo here.
My father, Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson (95thBG) was a pilot aboard the "Lili of the Lamplight
(44-6085) and eleven other B-17s from March through September 1944. He flew all his 35
missions out of Horham Airfield in the UK. I am using his Horham crew photograph as my profile photo here.
My father, Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson http://markerickson.com/Family_History/FH/r6-5.html was one of the pilots of 44-6085 the "Lili of the Lamplight." He has documentation on all additions i have and will be making on this site.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 8279 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
