Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

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Tags416th Bomb Group,

668th Bomb Squadron,

9th Air Force, A-20,

Aerodrome, avoc,

Beauvais-Tille, Blair

Bradford, Bomb

Missions, Clarence Gray,

Havoc, Idaho, ilot, KIA,

Montdidier Airdrome,

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Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50IMAGE Saturday Jun 201315

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Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Pilot, Pingree, Pomona,

POW, Salt Lake City,

Spanish Fork, Vern

McIver, Wethersfield,

WW2

I found this portrait photo at a local gun show, and it struck me. I

immediately noticed he is a pilot with an actors good looks, and then I

flipped over the photo, which was in a plastic holder and this was on the

back…

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Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Once I saw this I knew I had to buy this photo and research had to be done!

Luckily it wasn’t very difficult to find some information on him with some

resources available. Before enlisting in the US Army Air Corps in March 1941,

Blair had lived in 3 states, Idaho, Utah and then California. It seems he moved

around before settling in Los Angeles. I wonder if he “going to Hollywood” to

become an actor, because he sure looks like one. Blair went into the Air Corps as

a 2nd Lt., and then became a 1st Lt., and a pilot with the 9th Army Air Corps,

416th Bomb Group, 668th Bomb Squadron.

The 416th Bomb Group was stationed at Wethersfield Air Base in England (AAF-

170). They were flying A-20 Havocs, which Lt. Bradford was piloting.

668th Bomb Squadron

Insignia

—

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Wethersfield Air Base—

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

On May 20, 1944, the order was given for Mission 50, to

Beauvais-Tille Aerodrome in France. 38 total bombers were dispatched on this

mission– 32 A-20 G’s and 6 A-20 J’s. Lt. Bradford took off for flight at 1010

hours. They wound up attacking the wrong target, they hit Montdidier Airdrome,

but hit it well. The document below is the mission loading list for MISSION #50 –

May 20, 1944.

668th Bomb Squadron parking area at Wethersfield—

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Mission #50 Order – 5/20/44 – Flight III – #5 – Lt. Bradford—

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Mission # 50 for Lt. Blair H. Bradford would be his last… His plane was hit by

heavy flak, which killed him. He never bailed from his plane, but his gunners

Srgts. Vern E. McIver and Clarence Gray did and were captured by German

forces on the ground and became POWs. Lt. Bradford went down with his plane

and it seems as though his body was never recovered from the wreck, but in

June 1949 a military headstone was applied for by his brother Frank Bradford,

who lived in Pingree, Idaho.

668th BS in flight—

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

https://captureoftime.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/lt-blair-h-bradford-mission-50/[4/7/2016 12:55:24 PM]

Through researching Lt. Bradford, I came across a post by his nephew on a

message board inquiring about him. If you see this article, please contact me! I

also found some awesome information on the website for the 416th Bomb Group

– http://www.416th.com/

IN MEMORY OF 1st LT. BLAIR H. BRADFORD

Lt. Bradford – Front Row on left at Wethersfield—

Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

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Lt. Blair H. Bradford – Mission 50 | CAPTURE OF TIME

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Bonnie Whitebread said: June 15, 2013 at 5:42 PM

Wayne G. Sayles said: September 17, 2013 at 5:02 AM

Thanks, Ryan! Very interesting research! Well done!

REPLY

This is a wonderful tribute to a heroic aviator. Thank you for doing your part to preserve the memory of Lt. Bradford and the 416th.

Wayne G. Sayles Archivist, 416th Bomb Group

REPLY

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