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43-6437

P-51 Mustang

  • Lt. Col. Don Blakeslee flew his assigned P-51B Mustang, Serial No. 43-6437 during the 4th Fighter Group's first mission to Berlin on 3 March 1944. In this photograph his wheel s have just been chocked following his return from the historic mission.

    Lt. Col. Don Blakeslee flew his assigned P-51B Mustang, Serial No. 43-6437 during the 4th Fighter Group's first mission to Berlin on 3 March 1944. In this photograph his wheel s have just been chocked following his return from the historic mission.

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  • 3 March 1944 - Lt Col. Don Blakeslee hands his maps to crew chief S/Sgt Harry East before climbing out of his P-51B Mustang after the 4th Fighter Group's first Berlin escort mission. The mission was not a rousing success, for although the 4th FG destroyed eight enemy aircraft, four of its Mustangs failed to return to Debden.

    3 March 1944 - Lt Col. Don Blakeslee hands his maps to crew chief S/Sgt Harry East before climbing out of his P-51B Mustang after the 4th Fighter Group's first Berlin escort mission. The mission was not a rousing success, for although the 4th FG destroyed eight enemy aircraft, four of its Mustangs failed to return to Debden.

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  • Coloenl Don Blakeslee, CO of the 4th Fighter Group, in the cockpit of his P-51B after returning from the first American raid on Berlin. On March, 4 1944 Colonel Don was the first American fighter pilot to escort bombers over Berlin.

    Coloenl Don Blakeslee, CO of the 4th Fighter Group, in the cockpit of his P-51B after returning from the first American raid on Berlin. On March, 4 1944 Colonel Don was the first American fighter pilot to escort bombers over Berlin.

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Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Lt Col Don Blakeslee led the 4th Fighter Group in this aircraft on their first escort mission to Berlin on 3 March 1944. Although a notoriously unreliable aircraft, Blakeslee kept 43-6437 because of its rare Malcolm canopy.
Hit by Flak strafing a train near Dijon. 7-Aug-44. Pilot Lt Sidney V Wadsworth WIA/POW MACR 7757.

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 4th Fighter Group

    4th Fighter Group

    Group
    Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...

  • 335th Fighter Squadron

    335th Fighter Squadron

    Squadron
    The 335th Fighter Squadron was the offspring of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. Formed on 21 May 1941, No. 121 was the second of the three Eagle Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying out of England. They were known as the "Chiefs" and were...

People

  • Donald Blakeslee

    Military | Colonel | Fighter pilot, Commanding Officer | 4th Fighter Group
    Don Blakeslee was born on 11 September 1917 in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. As a boy, he became captivated with planes while watching the Cleveland National Air Races held only 30 miles away from his home at 529 7th St, Fairport Harbor, Ohio. In 1938,...

  • Harry East

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Crew Chief
    Harry was the one-time crew chief for Colonel Don Blakeslee. He was with the 4th Fighter Group from January 1943 - June 1945.

  • Sidney Wadsworth

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by Flak strafing a train near Dijon. Abandoned P-51B 43-6437 7-Aug-44. Lt Wadsworth WIA/POW MACR 7757. Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Missions

  • 8th Air Force FO 259 BOMBER ESCORT

    3 March 1944
    A combined fighter force of 730 aircraft of types: P-38; P-47 and P-51 are despached to escort the heavy bombers despatched to bomb the primary targets of Berlin, Erkner and Oraneinburg, Germany. The P-38 elements were the first American aircraft to...

Places

  • Debden

    Military site : airfield
    RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots...

Events

Event Location Date
Crashed 21000 Dijon, France 7 August 1944 – 7 August 1944

Hit by Flak strafing a train near Dijon. 7-Aug-44. Pilot Lt Sidney V Wadsworth WIA/POW MACR 7757.
Nicknames
Not yet known
Production block number
P-51B-5-NA
Manufacturer
North American
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Squadron code WD-C. Later coded WD-V.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 April 2016 13:57:36 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, markings, description, events, unit associations and mission associations
Sources

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=6437&Submit=Search
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmacr.asp?MACR=7757&Submit=Go
https://www.fold3.com/image/29437370
Date Contributor Update
25 April 2015 17:06:03 apollo11 Changes to description
Sources

Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
Date Contributor Update
25 April 2015 17:00:28 apollo11 Changes to markings, description, person associations and place associations
Sources

Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:41:40 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

MACR 7757 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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