Death
On December 10, 1941, Kelly's B-17C, USAAF 40-2045, (19th BG / 30th BS), took off from Clark Field in the Philippines. During its bombing run, Kelly's plane hit the Japanese cruiser Natori. On its return flight the bomber came under attack by Zeros from the Tainan Air Group, one of which was piloted by famed Japanese flying ace Saburo Sakai. Kelly stayed at the controls of the badly-damaged aircraft so that the surviving crew members could bail out. Just as he and his co-pilot attempted to escape, the plane exploded, ejecting both men. Kelly's co-pilot, Lieutenant Donald Robins, was able to open his parachute in time. Kelly hit the ground, parachute unopened.
Early reports misidentified the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara, which was present, as the battleship Haruna, which was not, and also mistakenly reported that he had crashed his plane into the smokestack of Haruna, becoming the first suicide pilot of the war.
Read more about this topic: Colin Kelly
Famous quotes containing the word death:
“For who shall defile the temples of the ancient gods, a cruel and violent death shall be his fate, and never shall his soul find rest unto eternity. Such is the curse of Amon-Ra, king of all the gods.”
—Griffin Jay, Maxwell Shane (1905–1983)
““... War on the destiny of man!
Doom on the sun!”
Before death takes you, O take back this.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“Human life consists in mutual service. No grief, pain, misfortune, or “broken heart,” is excuse for cutting off one’s life while any power of service remains. But when all usefulness is over, when one is assured of an unavoidable and imminent death, it is the simplest of human rights to choose a quick and easy death in place of a slow and horrible one.”
—Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935)