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.
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43-6437
P-51 Mustang
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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.
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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.
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
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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
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
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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
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.
Missions
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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
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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 |
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| Crashed | 21000 Dijon, France | 7 August 1944 – 7 August 1944 |
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Hit by Flak strafing a train near Dijon. 7-Aug-44. Pilot Lt Sidney V Wadsworth WIA/POW MACR 7757. |
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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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 April 2015 17:06:03 | apollo11 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz. |
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| 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. |
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| 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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