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](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg_x2/public/freeman/media-379324.jpg.webp?itok=YdGeZ_Fg)
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
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-659021
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron 526th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12029080 at enlistment, then O-435706
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot / Intelligence, S-2 Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19013914
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11023751 / O-437899
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12025350
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Aircraft
Missions
Places
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
His enlistment record gives his middle name as 'R' but Find a grave says 'C'.
Lee Cunningham 27-Oct-2014. National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database.
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