The Legend of Colin Kelly, by Robert Taylor
Free Companion Print Signed by Saburo Saki

THE SECOND IN A PAIR OF COMMEMORATIVE EDITIONS BY ROBERT TAYLOR REMEMBERING THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, AND THE EVENTS FOLLOWING, DECEMBER 10, 1941

Just three days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America gained her first aviation hero of World War II.

While the Pacific Fleet took a hammering in Hawaii, to the north Japanese aircraft from Formosa attacked Clark Field on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Most of the American aircraft were caught on the ground while refueling, the only B-17s to survive being those dispersed to a small strip at Mindanao.

With the war three days old the surviving 19th Bomb Group B-17s returned to the damaged Clark Field to load bombs. One, skippered by Captain Colin Kelly, had managed only to get three 600lb bombs aboard when the air raid alarm was sounded. Kelly took off immediately, and set about his mission to attack enemy shipping off the coast of Luzon.

Having located a landing force approaching the coast off Appari, Kelly selected the largest ship in the flotilla, the heavy cruiser Ashigara, scoring a direct hit bombing from 22,000 feet. Leaving the cruiser ablaze, Kelly turned towards Clark Field. Descending through broken cloud to 11,000 feet, his B-17 was jumped by a flight of 10 Japanese Zero fighters, attacking one by one in line astern. One burst of enemy fire went right through the middle of the aircraft taking the life of Kelly's flight engineer, and setting the aircraft on fire. With the B-17 mortally damaged and still under attack, Kelly ordered his crew to bail out.

Ignoring his own perilous situation, Kelly held the burning B-17 steady as, one by one, his crew hit the silk. Behind Kelly, co-pilot Donald Robins was trying to open the escape hatch when the aircraft exploded, the blast miraculously throwing him clear. The B-17 came down in pieces with the gallant skipper still at the controls. He had no chance of survival.

For his extraordinary heroism and selfless bravery, Captain Colin Kelly was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and with his passing came the birth of a legend. He became America's first aviation hero of World War II.

Robert Taylor's new painting - the second in his pair Remember Pearl Harbor! - depicts Kelly's B-17 under heavy attack from Zero fighters led by the ranking Japanese ace, Saburo Sakai. Sakai later said "Out of ammunition, I flew alongside the B-17 and saw the pilot trying to save the burning aircraft after allowing his crew to escape. I have tremendous respect for him."

750 signed and numbered prints $320
75 Artist's Proofs $520

Overall print size: 331/4" x 251/2".
Image size: 27" x 16".

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The two surviving members of Captain Colin P. Kelly's B-17C crew have each hand-signed every print in the edition in pencil, together with the artist Robert Taylor, to authenticate the most realistic portrayal of events ever painted of that fateful day, December 10, 1941.

Master Sergeant JAMES E. HALKYARD
James Halkyard was right waist gunner on Kelly's B-17 that day in December 1941. He joined the service back in January 1937 and the outbreak of war found him in the Philippines with the 14th Bomb Squadron, 19th Bomb Group. After being shot down he was picked up and served for a time with the local Philippine guerrillas. Evading capture he returned to US forces and later served at Bataan.

Staff Sergeant ROBERT E. ALTMAN
Robert Altman had joined up in October 1939, serving with the 42nd Bomb Squadron in Hawaii. December '41 found him at Clark Field in the Philippines with the 14th Bomb Squadron, 19th Bomb Group. He was radio operator and belly gunner on Kelly's B-17. Robert was captured by the Japanese after bailing out, and taken as POW for the remainder of the war. He spent 36 months of that captivity in Tokyo, Japan.