Donald Blakeslee
Encyclopedia
Donald James Matthew Blakeslee (September 11, 1917 – September 3, 2008) was an officer in the United States Air Force
, whose career began as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force
and flew Spitfire fighter aircraft
, during World War II
. He then became a member of the Royal Air Force
Eagle squadron
s. He flew more combat missions against the Luftwaffe than any other American fighter pilot.
on September 11, 1917 and became interested in flying after watching the Cleveland Air Races as a young boy. With money saved from his job with the Diamond Alkali
Company, he and a friend purchased a Piper J-3
in the mid-1930s, flying it from Willoughby Field, Ohio. However, his friend crashed the plane in 1940, and Blakeslee decided the best way to remain flying was to join the RCAF.
. Flying sweeps over France, Pilot Officer
Blakeslee seems to have first seen combat on November 18, 1941, when he damaged a Bf-109 near Le Touquet; and he claimed his first kill on November 22, 1941, a Bf-109 destroyed, over Desvres
, about 10 miles south of Marck
; on the same mission, he damaged a further Bf-109 whilst returning to base. His next kills were not claimed until April 28, 1942, two FW-190 probably destroyed. He proved to be not a particularly good shot, but was receptive to the principles involved in air fighting tactics, and was soon shown to be a gifted leader, in the air and on the ground.
By the summer of 1942 he was an acting
flight lieutenant
, and was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross
on August 14, 1942. The citation read:
He then completed his first tour of duty
, clocking 200 combat hours with three victories.
Blakeslee had studiously avoided being part of the American volunteer Eagle Squadrons, claiming "they played sister in making their claims." But when told he would be assigned to be an instructor pilot, he finally volunteered to be sent to No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAF
as its Commanding Officer, which was the only way he could remain on combat status. During the raid against Dieppe, France
on August 18, 1942, Blakeslee shot down a further FW-190, and another probably destroyed on the 19th, thus achieving ace
status.
, 122
, and 133 Squadrons were "activated" as the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group, operating from a former RAF field at Debden
. After a few months flying Spitfires, the group was re-equipped with the new Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. On April 15, 1943 Blakeslee claimed an FW-190 for the group's first P-47 "kill", and claimed a further FW-190 on May 14, 1943, both near Knocke
. Leading the 335th Squadron of the 4th FG, Blakeslee flew the group into Germany for the first time on July 28. Towards the end of the year Blakeslee led the group more often, and developed a tactic of circling above any air battle and directing his fighters as necessary.
Blakeslee flew the P-51 Mustang for the first time in December 1943 and thereafter worked hard to have the 4th FG re-equipped as soon as possible with the new fighter, pushing hard especially as he now became Commanding Officer of the 4th on January 1, 1944. The 8th Air Force Command eventually agreed to the request, provided the pilots were operational on the P-51 within 24 hours of receiving them. Blakeslee agreed, instructing his pilots to "learn how to fly them on the way to the target".
On March 6, 1944 Blakeslee flew in the first Mustang over Berlin while defending Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s. Escorting the massed daylight raids of the 8th Air Force over Occupied Europe while under Blakeslee's command, the 4th FG became one of the highest scoring groups of VIII Fighter Command. The 4th's aggressive style was very effective, and the 4th Fighter Group passed the 500 kill mark at the end of April 1944. At the end of the war, the squadron had destroyed 1,020 German planes (550 in flight, and 470 on the ground).
The next landmark for Blakeslee was leading the first "shuttle" mission to Russia on June 21, 1944, flying 1,470 miles in a mission lasting over 7 hours.
Don Blakeslee was finally grounded in September 1944, after the loss of several high scoring USAAF aces. He had accounted for 15.5 kills in the air and 2 more on the ground. He had flown over 500 operational sorties and accumulated 1,000 combat hours. Barrett Tillman
, who served as an executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association, stated that Blakeslee had more missions and hours "than any other American fighter pilot of World War II". Blakeslee retired from the United States Air Force
in 1965 with the rank of Colonel. An obituary in The Guardian
further described him as: "the most decorated second world war US Army Air Force fighter pilot."
awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross
. Blakeslee later earned another Distinguished Service Cross, as well as 7 Distinguished Flying Cross
es, 2 Silver Star
s, 6 Air Medal
s, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross
. When he served in the Korean War, he also earned the Legion of Merit
, an additional Distinguished Flying Cross, and four more Air Medals.
On Friday September 18, 2009, Colonel Don Blakeslee and his wife's ashes were interred at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony took place at 1100 hours and was open to the public. The 4th Fighter Wing also did a flyover
at the ceremony.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, whose career began as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and flew Spitfire fighter aircraft
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He then became a member of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Eagle squadron
Eagle squadron
The Eagle Squadrons were 3 fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States...
s. He flew more combat missions against the Luftwaffe than any other American fighter pilot.
Early life
Blakeslee was born in Fairport Harbor, OhioFairport Harbor, Ohio
Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census....
on September 11, 1917 and became interested in flying after watching the Cleveland Air Races as a young boy. With money saved from his job with the Diamond Alkali
Diamond Alkali
Diamond Alkali Company was an American chemical company incorporated in 1910 in West Virginia by a group of glass industry businessmen from Pittsburgh. The company soon established a large chemical plant at Fairport Harbor, Ohio, which would operate for over sixty years. In 1948, the headquarters...
Company, he and a friend purchased a Piper J-3
Piper J-3
The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time...
in the mid-1930s, flying it from Willoughby Field, Ohio. However, his friend crashed the plane in 1940, and Blakeslee decided the best way to remain flying was to join the RCAF.
RCAF and Eagle Squadrons
After training in Canada, Blakeslee arrived in England on May 15, 1941, where he was assigned to No. 401 Squadron RCAF. The squadron was assigned to the Biggin Hill WingWing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
. Flying sweeps over France, Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
Blakeslee seems to have first seen combat on November 18, 1941, when he damaged a Bf-109 near Le Touquet; and he claimed his first kill on November 22, 1941, a Bf-109 destroyed, over Desvres
Desvres
Desvres is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is a market town, known for its pottery.In 1999 its population was 5,260 inhabitants for the commune and 14,164 inhabitants for the canton.-External links:* *...
, about 10 miles south of Marck
Marck, Pas-de-Calais
Marck is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Marck is a farming and light industrial town located 6 km east of Calais, at the junction of the D940 and D248 roads. The A26 ‘autoroute des Anglaises’ passes through the commune and the...
; on the same mission, he damaged a further Bf-109 whilst returning to base. His next kills were not claimed until April 28, 1942, two FW-190 probably destroyed. He proved to be not a particularly good shot, but was receptive to the principles involved in air fighting tactics, and was soon shown to be a gifted leader, in the air and on the ground.
By the summer of 1942 he was an acting
Acting (rank)
An Acting rank, is a military designation allowing an commissioned- or non-commissioned officer to assume a rank—usually higher and usually temporary—with the pay and allowances appropriate to that grade. As such, an officer may be ordered back to the previous grade...
flight lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
, and was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
on August 14, 1942. The citation read:
He then completed his first tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
, clocking 200 combat hours with three victories.
Blakeslee had studiously avoided being part of the American volunteer Eagle Squadrons, claiming "they played sister in making their claims." But when told he would be assigned to be an instructor pilot, he finally volunteered to be sent to No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron RAF
No. 133 Squadron RAF
133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the RAF during World War II.-History:133 Squadron was first formed in 1918 at RAF Ternhill. It was a training unit for the Handley Page O/400, flying the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, that was...
as its Commanding Officer, which was the only way he could remain on combat status. During the raid against Dieppe, France
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
on August 18, 1942, Blakeslee shot down a further FW-190, and another probably destroyed on the 19th, thus achieving ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
status.
4th Fighter Group
On September 12, 1942, the 71No. 71 Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, the number has been used three times, once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron, in the second world war as an Eagle Squadron and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit based in Royal Air Force Germany.-First World...
, 122
No. 122 Squadron RAF
No. 122 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron during the first and second world wars.-History:The squadron was formed on 1 January 1918 at Sedgeford as a day bomber unit with the Airco DH.4, the intention was to train the squadron for operations on the de Havilland DH.9 but the squadron...
, and 133 Squadrons were "activated" as the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group, operating from a former RAF field at Debden
RAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
. After a few months flying Spitfires, the group was re-equipped with the new Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. On April 15, 1943 Blakeslee claimed an FW-190 for the group's first P-47 "kill", and claimed a further FW-190 on May 14, 1943, both near Knocke
Knokke
Knokke is one of a group of communities that are all grouped in the administrative community Knokke-Heist, in the province of West Flanders in Flanders, Belgium. Knokke itself has 15,653 inhabitants .Knokke-Heist has 33,818 inhabitants ....
. Leading the 335th Squadron of the 4th FG, Blakeslee flew the group into Germany for the first time on July 28. Towards the end of the year Blakeslee led the group more often, and developed a tactic of circling above any air battle and directing his fighters as necessary.
Blakeslee flew the P-51 Mustang for the first time in December 1943 and thereafter worked hard to have the 4th FG re-equipped as soon as possible with the new fighter, pushing hard especially as he now became Commanding Officer of the 4th on January 1, 1944. The 8th Air Force Command eventually agreed to the request, provided the pilots were operational on the P-51 within 24 hours of receiving them. Blakeslee agreed, instructing his pilots to "learn how to fly them on the way to the target".
On March 6, 1944 Blakeslee flew in the first Mustang over Berlin while defending Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s. Escorting the massed daylight raids of the 8th Air Force over Occupied Europe while under Blakeslee's command, the 4th FG became one of the highest scoring groups of VIII Fighter Command. The 4th's aggressive style was very effective, and the 4th Fighter Group passed the 500 kill mark at the end of April 1944. At the end of the war, the squadron had destroyed 1,020 German planes (550 in flight, and 470 on the ground).
The next landmark for Blakeslee was leading the first "shuttle" mission to Russia on June 21, 1944, flying 1,470 miles in a mission lasting over 7 hours.
Don Blakeslee was finally grounded in September 1944, after the loss of several high scoring USAAF aces. He had accounted for 15.5 kills in the air and 2 more on the ground. He had flown over 500 operational sorties and accumulated 1,000 combat hours. Barrett Tillman
Barrett Tillman
Barrett Tillman is an American author who specializes in naval and aviation topics in addition to fiction and technical writing.Tillman's most influential book to date is On Yankee Station , written with the late John B. Nichols...
, who served as an executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association, stated that Blakeslee had more missions and hours "than any other American fighter pilot of World War II". Blakeslee retired from the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1965 with the rank of Colonel. An obituary in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
further described him as: "the most decorated second world war US Army Air Force fighter pilot."
Awards and honors
On March 6, 1944, the same day Blakeslee flew over Berlin, Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. Blakeslee later earned another Distinguished Service Cross, as well as 7 Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
es, 2 Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s, 6 Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. When he served in the Korean War, he also earned the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, an additional Distinguished Flying Cross, and four more Air Medals.
Personal life and death
After retiring, Blakeslee lived in Miami, Florida. Blakeslee married Leola Fryer (died in 2005) in 1944 and had one daughter. Blakeslee died on September 3, 2008 at his home due to heart failure.On Friday September 18, 2009, Colonel Don Blakeslee and his wife's ashes were interred at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony took place at 1100 hours and was open to the public. The 4th Fighter Wing also did a flyover
Flypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
at the ceremony.
See also
- List of World War II air aces