Harry Ray Erickson

Military
Lieutenant Harry R. Erickson, from Mankato, Minnesota, a bombardier of the 97th Bomb Group inside the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress. A censor has obscured the ammunition to the bottom left of Erickson. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Ministry of Information 25 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Air(Boeing).' [written annotation] and '212091.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICAN FLYING FORTRESSES WAIT FOR ZERO HOUR. Associated Press Photo Shows: Lt. Harry Erickson from Mankato, Mi media-379324.jpg FRE 888 Lieutenant Harry R. Erickson, from Mankato, Minnesota, a bombardier of the 97th Bomb Group inside the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress. A censor has obscured the ammunition to the bottom left of Erickson. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Ministry of Information 25 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Air(Boeing).' [written annotation] and '212091.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICAN FLYING FORTRESSES WAIT FOR ZERO HOUR. Associated Press Photo Shows: Lt. Harry Erickson from Mankato, Minn. Bombardier of one of the Bombers, in the glass cabin in the nose of the plane.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 888 - Lieutenant Harry R. Erickson, from Mankato, Minnesota, a bombardier of the 97th Bomb Group inside the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress. A censor has...

Assigned to 342BS, 97BG, 8AF USAAF. As a bombardier, Erickson occupied the glass cabin in the B-17's nose. It was his job to release the bombs accurately over the target. The son of a steam railroad engineer from Mankato, Minnesota, Erickson only completed eight missions.

    In October 1942, his friend Lieutenant Ben Rushing recorded in his journal: 'Erickson was lost. He went in someone else's plane and happened to [have] hard luck. You begin to realise that it is war when they get your best buddies... I can hardly realise that he is definitely lost... May his soul rest in peace.' 

However Erickson did not die: he was captured and became a Prisoner of War for nearly three years. 

Shot down 21-Oct-42 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Bombardier. Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im

97th Bomb Group

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

People

Joe Gray Jr

Joe Henry Gray

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14012196 / O-419578
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Ned R Herzstam

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39165066
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Kenneth Laud

Kenneth Kurtz Laud

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20744087
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

William Thomas Lynch

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14073155
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Kenneth V Maeran

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12043729
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

41-24441

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Francis X
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Dulag Luft 12

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.

Stalag Luft I

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Mankato, Minnesota 17 June 1920 BornMankato, Minnesota

Died

14 November 2017

Buried

Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery Sierra Vista, Arizona 17 November 2017 InterredSouthern Arizona Veterans Memorial CemeterySierra Vista,  Arizona

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/617163244

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186515734/harry-ray-erickson

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/617163244

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186515734/harry-ray-erickson

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

IWM, Somewhere in England, p 47

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Conections with other crew members

Date
ContributorJenny
Changes
Sources

His enlistment record gives his middle name as 'R' but Find a grave says 'C'.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 17-Nov-2014. Added POW event details.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Oct-2014. National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

97th Bomb Group Association, Inc., Roster - June 1, 2000; Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1, p. 38 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Harry Ray Erickson: Gallery (1 items)

Lieutenant Harry R. Erickson, from Mankato, Minnesota, a bombardier of the 97th Bomb Group inside the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress. A censor has obscured the ammunition to the bottom left of Erickson. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Ministry of Information 25 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Air(Boeing).' [written annotation] and '212091.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICAN FLYING FORTRESSES WAIT FOR ZERO HOUR. Associated Press Photo Shows: Lt. Harry Erickson from Mankato, Mi

Object number: FRE 888 - Lieutenant Harry R. Erickson, from Mankato...