Arthur Dale Erwin was born in Arkansas on September 17, 1921. He was one of at least five children of Alvie Howard Erwin (4 Nov 1894 – 23 Dec 1977), who was born at Sutton, Albany Township, Nevada County, Arkansas; and Martha Ellen 'Mattie' Erwin (15 Mar 1890 – 5 Jul 197, who was born in Arknasas. He completed four years of high school. He was single and resided in Madison County, Arkansas when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on March 26, 1941. His father's address in 1944 was on County Avenue in Texarkana, Miller County, Arkansas.
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-D, and received his wings and commission on April 22, 1943. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt William W. Halliday in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. The Halliday crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed to England in March 1944. The crew flew B-24H 42-52746 overseas via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After arrival in England, Lt Erwin was made a first pilot with his own crew.
Lt Erwin and seven of his crew mates were killed in action on June 20, 1944, when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg near Hannover, Germany. Just after bombs away, the aircraft received a direct flak hit which tore off the tail. The aircraft spun to the ground in flames, and crashed at Hannover-Langenhagen, about five kilometers north of Hannover. The bodies of eight crew members were found in the wreckage. The dead were buried initially at the military cemetery in Hannover-Limmer. S/Sgt Albert Louis Ross, the tail gunner, was able to bail out and landed at Mecklenheide near Hannover. He was captured there and became a prisoner of war.
2Lt Erwin is now buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Texarkana, Miller County, Arkansas, USA.
Airmen who perished on B-24H 42-95217:
Boyd, Leslie L ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NE
Erwin, Arthur D ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, AR
Kussy, Leroy S, Jr ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, IL
Lumpkin, Claude L ~ S/Sgt, Nose Gunner, TX
Mackie, Thomas S ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Mass, Rubie R ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, IL
Musser, Elmer G ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, IL
Rosenberger, Jearold ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, IL
Airman who became a POW from B-24H 42-95217:
Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, Russell S. "Russ" Pickett, www.findagrave.com