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Some of the 4th FG and a lot of A-2s
- Thread starter Smithy
- Start date
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
"The Kid wants to know where we're going today. I wish he'd show up at briefings and stop Whatsapping me in the middle of my cockpit checks!"
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Knowing Blakeslee it's more likely some pretty, young WAAF (or several of them)!
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Robert Richards 4th Fighter Group
Lord Flashheart
Well-Known Member
That's presumably not a mobile phone in his pocket ?
Cocker
Well-Known Member
Looks like a sunglasses case.
Thomas Koehle
Well-Known Member
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Haven't had a Dude of the Day for an age so about time to rectify that and what better way than with the best personality of the 4th, Don Blakeslee. Yes we've had him before but not this snap taken after the establishment of the 4th from the Eagles but before the Jugs had arrived.
One of the coolest characters from the war bar none. He is also believed to have flown more combat missions than any other US aviator during the war.
One of the coolest characters from the war bar none. He is also believed to have flown more combat missions than any other US aviator during the war.
Brettafett
Well-Known Member
Sobering... Great pic though.
I love the patch on the A-2 of the guy on the far right of the pic. The only A-2. Like me, the only guy wearing an A-2 in the middle of London winter, where everyone else is wearing parkas.
I love the patch on the A-2 of the guy on the far right of the pic. The only A-2. Like me, the only guy wearing an A-2 in the middle of London winter, where everyone else is wearing parkas.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
I've no doubt become acclimatised to quite cold weather now but have worn A-2s with a jumper, scarf and a thermal long sleeved t down to -5 Celsius. I wouldn't want to stand around all day like that but it's more than OK for a short walk. It was between 2 to 3 until about 11 or 12 and I was in my Bronco, a thin merino sweater/jumper, scarf and a pair of MASH A-10s - happy as a sandboy!
Flightengineer
Well-Known Member
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Tim, you turned into a real Norwegian
I've gone native Dmitry
I can definitely cope with the cold a lot better now. When we were in Gran Canaria for Christmas we had one day where it was around 30, and I was really starting to feel it. Very funny because I would have thought that was pretty mild back in Melbourne!
Lorenzo_l
Well-Known Member
Bit of fun this one...
Some Dudes of the Day have done a sterling job of making a very well endowed snow-dame. Some of the guys of 336 during winter 1944-45.
Poignantly though the original is marked with those chaps who were made POW or KIA.
The markings on that picture completely changed the message it conmveyed to me. It went from a being a nice snapshot of group of young, carefree-looking flyboys to a reminder of the the fact those very kids were playing for keeps in a deadly serious game, and that however happy and care-free they look, a few would not make it back. Poignant and sobering...
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
A 'mechanical' POW. I wonder if he and his crew chief ever spoke again?
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Could have been a failure with the glycol system which wasn't caused by human negligence. But either way a tough way to end up a POW.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
...BTW note how the hides on Corbett's A-2 are really mismatched. That left front panel is grainy as hell but the right one and left arm are much smoother.
Also appears to have (due to his Christian name) either Dick or Rich painted on the left upper chest. Fry and Ethell's book which usually lists nicknames unfortunately doesn't say which he was known as.
Also appears to have (due to his Christian name) either Dick or Rich painted on the left upper chest. Fry and Ethell's book which usually lists nicknames unfortunately doesn't say which he was known as.
