John E ERICKSON

Photo
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER39304335
AGE24 yo
DATE OF BIRTH1920
STATEColumbia County OREGON
FAMILYSingle
RANKT/Sergeant
FONCTIONRadio
JOB before ENLISTEMENTUnskilled lumbermen, raftsmen, and woodchoppersOR
DATE of ENLISTEMENT7 november 1941 Fort Lewis WASHINGTON
SQUADRON863rd Bomb Squadron
GROUP493rd Bomb Group
ARMY8th Air Force
DATE OF DEATH6 june 1944erickson tombe
STATUSMIA
PLACE OF DEATHGiraumont (near Compiègne)
DATA PLANB-24 Liberator - type J - s/n 44-40471 Carré-X
Macr:5485
Mission: Lisieux (14)
Take-off station 152 Debach, Suffolk UK
Air collision at 11 000 feet with B-24 (42-94789) at 10:28
CEMETERYBRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY from St James

Map Brittany American Cemetery

GRAVE
Wall of Missing
DECORATION
Purple Heart
 
Air Medal
Photo FDLM
 
Photo FDLM
8AIRFORCE  493eBG  863eBS
STORY

Debut for Debach

It was the very first combat mission for the 493rd Bomb Group, based in Debach, England.
Thirty-six B-24’s took off for their target on June 6, 1944.
But when they reached their objective, a road and railroad crossing at Lisieux, France, it was completely covered by cloud.
The decision was made for the group to return to England without dropping their ordnance.
Somewhere over the English Channel, at 10:28 AM, two of the B-24’s collided.
A witness stated “the right wing of A/C (aircraft) 471 struck the tail of A/C 789.
A/C 471 was seen to disintegrate and both A/C 471 and A/C 789 were seen to disappear into the overcast.
One to two chutes were seen out of both A/C 471 and A/C 789.
There is little left to say except to record the names of the crews of the two B-24s.
Of the 20 men, only one, Sergeant James D. Tuohy, of Elizabeth, NJ, survived.
 

B-24 Liberator - type J - s/n 44-40471 Carré-X

Capitaine Jack G W COOPER Pilot Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
2nd Lieutenant Frank N HANCOCK CoPilot Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
2nd Lieutenant Joseph L Jr MONTAGUE Navigator Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
2nd Lieutenant James C DILLON Navigator Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
2nd Lieutenant Carl A NORD Bomber Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
T/Sergeant John E ERICKSON Radio Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
S/Sergeant Orley W MILLS Mechanic Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
Sergeant James D TUOHY Gunner Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
Sergeant Earl D KOENIG Gunner Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
Sergeant Cornelius SNOEY Gunner Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James
b24 b24

 

Composition du 493rd Bomb Group basé à Debach Station 152 

AIR SQUADRONS

860th Bombardment Squadron 861st Bombardment Squadron
862nd Bombardment Squadron 863rd Bombardment Squadron

GROUND/SUPPORT UNITS

330th Station Complement 480th Sub Depot
18th Weather Squadron 280th Medical Dispensary (Aviation)
2117th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon (Aviation) 2971st Finance Detachment (Provisional)
1143rd MP Company (Aviation) Det A 1788th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation)
1227th QuarterMaster Company (Service Group) 878th Chemical Company

It was the very first combat mission for the 493rd Bomb Group, based in Debach, England. Thirty-six B-24’s took off for their target on June 6, 1944. But when they reached their objective, a road and railroad crossing at Lisieux, France, it was completely covered by cloud.

The decision was made for the group to return to England without dropping their ordnance.

Somewhere over the English Channel, at 10:28 AM, two of the B-24’s collided. A witness stated “the right wing of A/C (aircraft) 471 struck the tail of A/C 789. A/C 471 was seen to disintegrate and both A/C 471 and A/C 789 were seen to disappear into the overcast.

One to two chutes were seen out of both A/C 471 and A/C 789.

 

INFORMATION SOURCES
493bgdebach.co.uk - Blackorpheus.files.wordpress.com

INFORMATION SOURCESFrancecrashes39-45.net - Aad.archives.gov/aad
PICTURE SOURCEFrédéric LAVERNHE
PROGRAMMERFrédéric & Renaud
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