Don Blakeslee

Fairport Harbor, OH

Don Blakeslee in his P-51 Mustang

Don Blakeslee's Medals


Distinguished Flying Cross (Great Britain)	Distinguished Service Cross	Airmedal	Silver Star	Distinguished Flying Cross
	(1 Oak Leaf Cluster)		(3 Oak Leaf Clusters)	(7 Oak Leaf Clusters)


AIRCRAFT	SERIAL NUMBER	CALL LETTERS	DATES ASSIGNED	DESCRIPTION	DISPOSITION
Spitfire MkVb	BL776	MD-C?	10/9/42-11/8/42	Unk	Transferred 4/1/43
Spitfire MkVb	BL545	MD-	11/9/42	Unk	Transferred 4/1/43

P-47D	42-7863	WD-C	4/17/43-2/18/44	Malcolm hood	7/28/43, shot up. Made itback to Manston, UK. Transferred 4/1/43

P-51B	43-6437	WD-C	2/28/44-8/7/44	olive drab and gray, all white ETO	8/7/43 - MIA while flown by S. Wadsworth
P-51B	42-106726	WD-C	4/14/44-?	all metal finish, Malcolm hood	believed scrapped due to battle damage

P-51D	44-13779	WD-C	7/8/44-End of war	black ETO bands on all but tail fin, white rudder, red canopy frame, D-Day bands, olive drab right rear wing fillet	Unk

over 500 missions and 1000 combat hours
September 29, 1942, promoted to Captain
November 22, 1942, 335th CO
January 12, 1943, promoted to Major
May 19, 1943, 4th Group Executive Officer and Operations Officer
May 19, 1943, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
July 10, 1943, relieved as Group Executive Officer
August 16, 1943, aircraft badly damaged in fight over Paris
January 1, 1944, 4th Group and Station CO
January 7, 1944, aircraft badly damaged by 3 FW-190s. 71 holes counted in aircraft upon returning to base.
March 8, 1944, promoted to Colonel
September 7, 1944 - October 20, 1944, on U.S. leave

Date	Enemy A/C	Air/Ground	Place	Number
4/15/43	FW-190	Air	Knocke-Bruges, Belg	1
4/15/43	FW-190	Air	Knocke-St. Nicholas, Belg	1
1/7/44	FW-190	Air	Hesdin area, Fr.	1
3/18/44	FW-190	Air	Unk	1
4/18/44	He-177	Ground	Fassberg A/D, Ger.	1
4/22/44	Me-109	Air	s/w of Kassel, Ger.	2
4/24/44	FW-190	Air	north of Worms, Ger.	1.5
4/30/44	Seaplanes	Ground	French Lake returning from St. Dizier-Lyon area, Fr.	0.75
5/29/44	Me-410	Air	North of Falkenburg, ?	1
7/2/44	Me-109	Air	near Budapest, Hun.	1