Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leading Aircraftman Albert Erickson (Service No:29598) enlisted in the RAAF on 13 January 1941 as an Aircraftman I at No 4 Recruiting Centre Perth - mustered as Trainee Rigger, later Flight Rigger and then Fitter. Promoted to Leading Aircraftman in October 1942, LAC Erickson's service was largely in Western Australia (Geralton, Cunderdin, Perth) with Nos 6 and 7 Communications Units. LAC Erickson was attached to No 6 Communications Unit at Discharge on 15 November 1945.

Bert was born in Broad Arrow, WA in 1906, third of five children of Johannes (John) Erickson (b1867 in Stockholm, Sweden) and Christina (Chrissie) Melville (b1869 in Upper Sturt, South Australia). John arrived in Melbourne in 1886 on board the Beaconsfiled and was in South Australia in 1898 when he and Chrissie married in Rosewater. By 1903 they had moved to Kalgoorlie, WA where John worked as a  Miner before settling at Broad Arrow where they raised their family and John was a Miner. By the early 1920s John and Chrissie had settled in Fremantle WA and John gave his occupation as Prospector.

Bert worked in Fremantle as a Mill Hand and Blacksmith's Striker before working in Perth as a Fitter's Assistant and Motor Car Assembler (Mason & Simonen Motor Engineers). In 1938 in Northam, WA he married Linda Ruby Haines (b1914 in Beverley, WA). Bert and Linda were in Perth in 1941 when Bert enlisted in the RAAF, and following his Discharge, settled at Wattening via Toodyay, WA where they raised their family and Bert was a Farmer, later moving to Bolgart via Toodyay. Bert died in 1989 and Linda in 1993.