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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44-13779
P-51 Mustang
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Caption from p.103 of '4th Fighter Group - Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz: 'Two unnamed pilots pose alongside the last Mustang (P-51D 44-13779) assigned to Col Don Blakeslee when Commanding 0fficer of the 4th Fighter Group.' By the time this photo was taken, Colonel Blakeslee had rotated home and 44-13779 had been reassigned to Second Lieutenant (Previously Flight Officer) Olin A Kiser. The extended red nose band (24") appeared in early December 1944 and lasted until about 1st January 1945 when it was swept down under the nose to a point which ended and centered at the wing leading edge. As can be seen, 335th Fighter Squadron aircraft had white rudders with a thin red outline. This embellishment dated from about 10th October 1944.
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Colonel Donald Blakeslee in his P-51D Mustang, WD-C, Serial No. 44-13779, which was received by the 4th Fighter Group on 8 July 1944. By mid-July that year, the Invasion Stripes were removed from the upper surfaces on the Group's aircraft.
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Colonel Donald Blakeslee is leading a formation of 335th, 336th and 334th Fighter Squadron P-51 D models.
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Don Blakeslee at the tail of his final P-51D 44-13779.
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Col Don Blakeslee, commander of the 4th Fighter Group, in the cockpit of his P-51D 44-13779, coded WD-C. He was officially credited with 9.5 confirmed aerial victories.
This was the last Mustang assigned to Col. Donald Blakeslee, Commanding Officer of the the 4th Fighter Group.
As Blakeslee rotated home in November 1944, the aircraft was reassigned to Lt. Kiser having been repaired.
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,... -
Olin Kiser
Military | Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
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Herman Rasmussen
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
2nd Lt. Herman S. Rasmussen was killed in action (KIA) when he was hit by flak while strafing the Munich-Bruntthal aerodrome on 9 April 1945. He baled at low altitude from his P-51 Mustang #44-13788 near Neuberg, but his 'chute did not open in time.
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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| Delivered | 15 June 1944 | |
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Aircraft delivered. |
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| Gained | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 30 June 1944 |
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Gained by 4th Fighter Group and assigned to Col. Blakeslee.. |
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| Early return | 8 August 1944 | |
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Early return from mission due to problem with right drop tank. |
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| Crashed | RAF Harrowbeer, Dartmoor National Park, Yelverton, Devon PL20, UK | 1 November 1944 |
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Crashed - belly landed by Col Blakeslee at RAF Harrowbeer. Cat 3 damage. |
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| Accident | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 29 November 1944 |
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Taxiing accident [ground crew]. Cat 3 damage. |
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| Crashed | Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 20 March 1945 |
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Crashed - belly landed by Lt. Herman S Rasmussen due to engine failure. Cat 3 damage. |
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| Salvaged | 21 September 1945 | |
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Salvage date per individual aircraft record card. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 10 March 2016 14:06:37 | Al_Skiff | Changes to events, unit associations and person associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=44-13779&Submit4=Go |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 26 April 2015 22:11:54 | Pyker | Changes to production block number, markings, description, events, unit associations and person associations |
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Updated markings description, added association of pilot and squadron. Added correct production block number. Detailed aircraft biography. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 26 April 2015 17:54:51 | apollo11 | Changes to production block number and description |
| Sources | ||
Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 March 2015 19:56:21 | apollo11 | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, manufacturer, markings, description, unit associations, person associations and place associations |
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Personal research & 'The Debden Eagles' By Garry L. Fry. |
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