Ernest L. Anderson

World War II
-
Fallen

Fargo, ND

County:
Cass

Date of Loss:

Branch of Service:
Air Force

Rank:
1st Lt.

Company / Ship / Flight or equivalent:
558th Bomber Squadron, 387th Bomber Group, Medium

Circumstances:

Killed in action in France.

From Fields of Honor Database (Updated daily):

ANDERSON, Ernest L "Ernie"
Servicenumber: O-731784

Age: 24
Born: 1 April 1919, Leonard, Cass county, North Dakota
Hometown: Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota
Family: Carl L. Anderson (father)
Mattie Anderson (mother)
Elsie Anderson (sister)
Margret Anderson (sister)
Allen Anderson (brother)
Rank: First Lieutenant
Function: Pilot
Regiment: -
Battalion: -
Division €“ Transport: -
Company €“ Squadron: 558th Bomber Squadron
Unit €“ Group: 387th Bomber Group, Medium
Plane data:
(Serialnumber, MACR, etc.)		 Serialnumber: 41-31653
Type: B-26A
Nickname: King Bee
Destination: Lille, France
MACR: 471
Date of death: 31 August 1943
Status: KIA
Place of death: Over the target Lille, France
Spot: Lille/Vendeville Airfield, France
Awards: Purple Heart
Gravenumber: Plot P, Row 4, Grave 11
Cemetery: American War Cemetery Margraten
Biography: -
Other information:

Lt. Ernest L. Anderson graduated from Fargo High School in 1937 where he was active in sports and was in the National Honor Society. He was employed by the Merchants National Bank & Trust Company.

Statement from T/Sgt Clinton C. Guy:
"We were over target and bomb-bay doors were just opening. I was facing the rear of our ship, and looking through our front bomb-bay. The lost ship was at that time flying to the right of ours, suddenly, I saw it nose over and as it came into full view, I saw that the rear third of the ship was missing. The remaining section went into a tight spin for about 1500 feet. then went into a flat spin. I followed it visually until the ship was almost to the ground, and knowing the crash was inevitable, turned away."

August 31st was to be a day of shock and sorrow for the Group on the mission to Ville/Vendeville Airfield. Flak over target knocked down the Groups first B26. A direct hit cut "King Bee"into two pieces the two halves.

The last two pictures were taken in high school in 1937.

 

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.archives.gov, B26.com, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Fred, B26.com, www.ancestry.com - Fargo High School, 1937

Biography:

Buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial