Merle E Blanchard
Military
Object Number - UPL 24479 - Capt Merle E Blanchard 338FS, 55FG, 8AF.
300 combat hours; 77 missions in P-38; 4 single engine returns; Flew some missions with the 479th FG; Squadron commander on mission with 18 group kills and no losses--338th FS got 9 out of the 18.
DFC (OLC), AM (5 OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
2 Destroyed and 2 Damaged
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Campbell, California | 16 November 1919 | Son of John Lee and Bessie Mae Blanchard. |
|
Enlisted |
San Francisco, CA, USA | 17 January 1942 | |
|
Other Crashed |
McChord AFB, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, USA | 9 July 1943 | Belly Landing Mechanical Failure McChord Field, WA Cat 4 damage Lt Merle E Blanchard, 9-Jul-43. P-38F 43-2038 - 338FS 55FG. |
|
Other Promotion |
Wormingford, Colchester CO6, UK | 31 January 1944 | Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed |
Goch, Germany | 31 January 1944 | 31-Jan-44 Me109 destroyed (air) Goch. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed |
Neumünster, Germany | 22 May 1944 | 22-May-44 Fw190 destroyed (air) Neumunster. |
|
Other Promotion |
Wormingford, Colchester CO6, UK | 8 June 1944 | Promoted to Captain. |
|
Other E/A Damaged |
60000 Beauvais, France | 11 June 1944 | 11-Jun-44 Me109 damaged (air) Beauvais. |
|
Other E/A Damaged |
02000 Laon, France | 6 July 1944 | 6-Jul-44 Me109 damaged (air) Laon. |
|
Other Transferred |
Goxhill, Barrow-upon-Humber DN19, UK | 9 August 1944 | Transferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. |
|
Died |
Placerville, CA 95667, USA | 23 August 2006 | |
|
Based |
Wormingford | 9 August 1944 | Assigned to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Blanchard
https://www.fold3.com/page/84961672_merle_e%20blanchard/details/
https://www.fold3.com/page/74323340_merle_e%20blanchard/details/
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Blanchard%2C+Mer…
http://www.station131.co.uk/55th/Pilots/338th%20Pilots/Blanchard%20Merl…
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list / self
