Herbert Jude Blanchfield

Military
media-24490.jpeg UPL 24490 Capt. Herbert J Blanchfield, [ Paterson, NJ ]. 334th Fighter Squadron. P-47C 41-6187 QP-E "Uncle Den".

Object Number - UPL 24490 - Capt. Herbert J Blanchfield, [ Paterson, NJ ]. 334th Fighter Squadron. P-47C 41-6187 QP-E "Uncle Den".

Captain Herbert Blanchfield of the 334th fighter Squadron, claimed 4.333 strafing kills within days of receiving his P-51B Mustang in early April 1944. He was shot down in P-51D Mustang 42-106767, during a strafing attack on a flak tower at Reims-Champagne airfield. Although initially evading capture, Blanchfield was eventually found by the Gestapo, and he spent the rest of the war as a POW.



Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (OLC), POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Aircraft

A P-47 Thunderbolt (QP-L, serial number 41-6187) of the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group at Debden.
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Quack! Uncle Den
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Salem Representative
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Passaic County, NJ, USA 9 June 1920 Son of Thomas and Alice Blanchfield.

Enlisted

New York, NY, USA 22 November 1940 New York City, New York

Enlisted

Canada 27 June 1941 Enlisted RCAF AV Cadet [R122589].

Other

Flight training

Moncton, NB, Canada 28 February 1942 - 18 June 1942 8 SFTS (RCAF) Moncton - Course 50: February 28 - June 18, 1942.

Based

Debden 13 August 1943 - 9 May 1944 Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.

Other

Promotion

Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK 5 December 1943 Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

Other

Promotion

Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK 28 January 1944 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Evaded (EVD)

France 9 May 1944 Evaded capture initially.

Other

Shot down / Baled out

Putteville, 10500 Rosnay-l'Hôpital, France 9 May 1944 Shot down in a strafing attack on a flak tower at Reims-Champagne airfield. Baled out Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 4685.

Other

Promotion

Barth, Germany 15 May 1944 Promoted to Captain.

Died

Wyckoff, NJ, USA 24 January 2001

Buried

Christ the King Cemetery Franklin Lakes, Bergen County, NJ 27 January 2001 Christ the King Cemetery Franklin Lakes, Bergen County, New Jersey

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.
Paterson, NJ, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorWD-C Mustang
Changes
Sources

'The Debden Warbirds' by Frank Speer

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 'The Debden Eagles' by Garry L. Fry.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 4685 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Herbert Jude Blanchfield: Gallery (4 items)