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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42-106726
P-51 Mustang
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May 1944 - Col. Donald Blakeslee' P-51B Mustang, WD-C, Serial No. 42-106726.
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. One-time personal aircraft of Col. Donald Blakeslee, CO of the 4th Fighter Group.
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... -
Headquarters (4th Fighter Group)
Headquarters
The Headquarters Squadron was made up of true leaders. Most had flown Hurricanes, Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Mustangs. ...
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,... -
Robert Tyler
Military | Second Lieutenant
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Peter Wickham
Military | Wing Commander | Pilot / Wing Commander
Wing Commander RAF, on DS (Detached Service) with the 4th from #2 TEU (Tactical Exercise Unit) where he was Chief Flying Instructor. 9 x missions [4FG]. ...
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 | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 22 October 1944 |
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Landing accident Debden/Sta 356 Cat 3 damage, pilot Lt Robert N Tyler, 22-Oct-44. 335FS 4FG 8AF. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 March 2016 17:53:28 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, manufacturer, markings, description, events, unit associations and person associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=42-106726&Submit4=Go |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 March 2015 17:24:27 | apollo11 | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, markings, description, unit associations, person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Personal research & 'The Debden Eagles' by Garry L. Fry. |
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