James William Erickson

  Research Notes:

1. notes from Arnheim War Cemetery
Navy Flying Officer, age 23

Service No: J/40284
Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force, 48 (R.A.F.) Sqdn
son of Arthur and Ada Erickson, Banff, AB

a couple of photos - findagrave, id 12732288

2. World War 2 Canada Service files of War Dead,

https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/imageviewer/collections/9145/images/44485_83024005550_0409-00001?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=645z

image 1 - 66
image 12 - a note dated 5 Aug 1945; from parents: "We regret to say we have no further news regarding our son, P/O James William Erickson
image 14 - a noted dated 30 Jan 1947; from parents: "...thanks for the letter of 24 Jan from "missing research and enquiring services...that they have located his resting place....he has been missing since 21 Sept 1944 .... [a question] ... could you tell us how he was found or did his plane come down in flames..??? - throughout the file, there is no record of an answer, only ... image 26
image 26 ... resupplying mission over Holland .... presumed dead, 21 Sep 1944
image 66 ... for official purposes ... presumed dead; dated 31 Oct 1945 [Alberta death registration


note; nothing on newspapers.com, Calgary Herald


3. BUT, a result from another search for "Edith Mulligan" on newspapers.com, Edmonton Journal, issue 23 Sep 2000, page B2

"Wartime Sacrifice tugs at heart oceans apart"; "bittersweet phone contact years later" by Mike Sadava

- Edith Mulligan - phone a Dutch person, Chris Petter - he was putting flowers on the grave of "Jim Erickson"
partial transcription, 2 Nov 2020 by Rueben D Grue

"Jim Erikson of Banff was one of two Albertans who died on a supply mission when their plane was shot down in 1944 near Arnhem, Holland, during the big Allied push towards the end of the Second World War.
"Chris Petter looks after the graves of Erikcson and Jack Wills, who had ties to Edmonton, and eight British .... He has been trying to reach their families.
"Mulligan read about Petter's labour of love... and on Thursday, the 56th anniversary of the downing of the plance, she contacted him by phone.
"Mulligan, who is now 75 and lives in Nanaimo BC, says she is very grateful for what Petter has been doing....
"She visited the grave of 'our favourite brother' in 1973, and was shown the area where his plance was shot down ....
"...Petter has been motivated by the horrors he witnessed as a child in Nazi-occupied Holland, and like many Dutch people still feels a tie to Canada for our help in Liberating the country.
"Mulligan says her brother was a serious and shy youngster who blossomed after joining the air force.
"He met a girl of this dreams, wo was in the Canadian Army Postal Division in London. They were introduced and fell in love and were engaged to be married.
"Mulligan and Petter are about to be become regular correspondents....