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2nd Lt Willis G. Blakeleyentered Army Air Corps on 12 August 1942 and left for the ETO on 21 October 1944.

Sgt Spades, the Radio Operator, rendered this Casualty Questionnaire report after repatriation from POW status: that Blakeley, Schoelerman, Amodeo (Pilot, Co-Pilot and Engineer respectively) were in the flight deck just before he left the shihp, and they were not injured; and Navigator Walker and Nose Gunner Talley were in the nose compartment at that time, condition unknown. He indicated that according to the Germans later, that these men were found dead in their relative positions in the crashed plane. This crew member also reported in his account that Law, Halpern, Flesey and Rubenstein bailed out of the waist hatch, while he excited through the bomb bay. He also noted that the Engineer, Pfc Amodeo, was last seen close to going into the bomb bay area and appeared ready to bail out. There were no other available facts by any others concerning the ship's or specific crew member's final situations involved with this unfortunate happening. The MACR remarks on this emergency stated: "Hit by tracers from runaway tail guns of A/C 42-29476, which was flying lead of the High Right Element in the Squadron".

Lt Blakeley was first buried at Temporary American Military Cemetery Ardennes, Belgium Block L, Row 3, Grave 70.