Colonel Don Blakeslee 11/9/17 – 3/9/08 (Merged)

If you thought the Telegraph was slow to catch on, it finally made today’s Guardian, four months after the event:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/08/obituary-colonel-don-blakeslee

RIP Don Blakeslee

Shame he died on the 3rd of September but only made the telegraph 3 weeks later.

But thanks for posting anywya.

curlyboy

Another Fighter Ace Lost to Us

I don’t know if this has already been posted, but we have lost another @Hero@.

May he rest in peace.

(hope the link works)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/3088505/Colonel-Don-Blakeslee.html

Thanks for posting those pictures.
The second from last shot was taken at Biggin Hill, my local.
Earlier in the thread, Grover Hall’s ‘1000 Destroyed’ was recommended, I’d also like to mention James Goodson’s ‘Tumult in the Clouds’ for some great Blakeslee references.

???

a few more……………….

RIP Colonel.

Very sad new’s indeed, Don seemed to have outlasted them all, it seemed he would go on forever.
The 4th Fighter Group first fired my interest in the Eighth Air Force, I second the recommendation for ‘1000 Destroyed’

What a great aviator and personality.

R.I.P. Colonel Don

RIP 🙁

I’ll second Pete’s view. Thanks for the world you helped build, Don. It may not be perfect, but it’s better than the alternative.

Blue skies – and fluffy cumulus to fly round.

Adrian

As he was an ‘honourary Essex boy’, serving at Debden for a period, we salute you.
Strange, I drove past there yesterday, parked nearby as I was early for a meeting, read my Flypast and had a moment of contemplation for what has happened at Debden, not knowing he had passed away, coincidence or what.
I may have to go up there again today, in which case I’ll put a flower and a note on the gate from us all, I’m sure that the Army gunslingers up there won’t mind.
There’s another fine colour picture of Don in Roger Freemans ‘Eighth Air Force In Colour’, taken at Debden I recall, my friends think it’s wierd as he looks like me in the picture, or rather vice versa, no comparison otherwise with such a brave, selfless hero, one of those rare people who put his own life at risk to fight for another country when he didn’t have to.

Anyone who hasn’t read it needs to seek out ‘1000 destroyed’. I believe it is available as a download somewhere on the web.

In a time where the word ‘hero’ is used far too readily, it is apt to remember a man who fitted the description to a tee.

Bruce

We are made the poorer by each and every departure, but he was one of the greats.

Moggy

Sad news, he will be missed,

here’s my little photo tribute…………

The very first photo I saw of him was the nice colour one in the centre, with him looking up from his Mustang,

cheers,

-John