KITS 04/2022

Spitfire Mk.Vb, AB875, P/O Joseph M. Kelly, No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron, RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk,

United Kingdom, February 1942

No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron was formed out of the American volunteers at RAF airbase Church Fenton on September 19, 1940. It was equipped with the American

Brewster Buffalo replaced by Hurricanes in November 1940. On February 1941, at Kirton in Lindsey airbase the unit was declared operational and in April

started to fly combat out of RAF airbase Martlesham

Heath in Suffolk. In August 1941 it was re-equipped

with Spitfires Mk.IIa, in a short time replaced by more

powerful Spitfires Mk.Vb.

In May 1942, the unit was relocated to Debden where, at the end of October 1942, was designated 334th

FS and became part of the 4th FG of the 8th AF. This

Spitfire Mk.Vb was usually flown by California native

P/O Joe Kelly. After he finished his tour of duty, he requested the transfer to the Mediterranean to where

he set sail in the middle of April 1942. He served with

RAF until the end of the year and then transferred to

the USAAF.

Spitfire Mk.Vb, BL753, P/O Donald J. M. Blakeslee, No. 401 Squadron RCAF, RAF Gravesend, Kent, United Kingdom,

April - May 1942

Donald Blakeslee, the future fighter ace and commander of the 4th FG USAAF landed in England on

May 15, 1941, having completed the pilot training in

Canada and was assigned to No. 401 Squadron RCAF,

part of the Biggin Hill Wing. On November 22 he was

credited with the first kill, Bf 109 over Desvres. Initially, Blakeslee was reluctant to serve in the American

Eagle squadrons, but after he completed his tour of

duty with No. 401 Squadron, he joined No. 133 (Eagle)

Squadron as it was the only possibility to continue

combat flying. After the 4th FG was established

within 8th AF USAAF at the end of September 1942,

he was appointed to command 335th FS (ex No. 121

Squadron RAF) and on February 1 he became the commander of the whole 4th FG. On March 15, 1943, he

scored his first kill with 4th FG flying P-47D Thunder-

bolt and on July 28 he led 4th FG over Germany for

the first time. In February 1944 4th FG under his command became one of the first 8th AF fighter groups

to be re-equipped with P-51B Mustang. In November

1944 Don Blakeslee retired from the operational

service with 15.5 kills, 500 combat flights and more

than thousand operational hours to his credit.

Spitfire Mk.Vb, BM581, P/O William P. Kelly, No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron, RAF Southend, Essex,

United Kingdom, July 1942

The second Eagle squadron, 121st, was established

in May 1941 at RAF airbase Kirton in Lindsey. In November 1941 it transitioned from Hurricanes to new

Spitfires Mk.Vb. In December it replaced No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron at RAF airbase North Weald and joined

the offensive operations over occupied Europe. On

April 2022

July 21, 1942, Spitfire BM581 was damaged by Flak

fire during the sweep over the Netherlands. After

repair, it was returned to the unit where it served

as AV-K even though on September 29 the unit became 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF. In April 1943 after the

4th FG re-equipped to new P-47D Thunderbolt, this

aircraft was returned to RAF. William Kelly, as well

as the whole unit, was transferred under the USAAF

command. In February 1943 he lost his life during

the sortie as one of the last 4th FG pilots who were

killed in combat when flying Spitfires.

INFO Eduard

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