Ernest L. Anderson

Ernest Lloyd (Ernie) Anderson was born on April 1, 1919, in Leonard, Cass County, North Dakota to Carl L and Mattie Helen Listad Hendrickson Anderson. First Lieutenant Anderson was killed in action on August 31, 1943. His aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed while bombing the German airfield at Lille/Vendeville, Département du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. Buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands, Plot P, Row 4, Grave 11. He received the Purple Heart.

Info by J.Engels:

First Lieutenant Ernest Lloyd Anderson (Service Number O-731784) was born April 1, 1919, in Leonard, Cass County, North Dakota, the son of Swedish immigrants Carl Leander and Mattie Helen (Listad) Anderson. A graduate of Fargo Central High School and Dakota Business College, he worked as a teller at Merchants National Bank in Fargo before entering the service. Anderson began with the 188th Field Artillery before transferring to the Army Air Forces, where he earned his wings and commission as a pilot at Victorville, California, in 1942. Assigned to the 558th Bombardment Squadron, 387th Bombardment Group, he flew the B-26 Marauder in combat missions over German-occupied Europe. On August 31, 1943, while piloting B-26 "King Bee" in a mission against the German airfield at Lille, France, his aircraft was struck by enemy fire and crashed, killing Anderson and his crew. He is buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands, Plot P, Row 4, Grave 11, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He is remembered as a courageous young airman whose service and sacrifice contributed to the Allied victory in Europe. (By Richard Rife)

Fields of Honor: 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 [sic] the two halves.

The last two head and shoulder pictures were taken in high school in 1937.

Sources: Fields of Honor/Ancestry/Find a Grave