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| USAAF 5th AF 7th BG 14th BS  Daniel Dizon December10, 1941 |
Pilot Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr. 19th BG, 14th BS (KIA , BR) Madison, FL Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Donald D. Robins, O-401307 (survived) WA Navigator 2nd Lt. Joe M. Bean, O-426865 (survived) Bombardier Cpl Meyer Levin, 6975479 (survived) Brooklyn, NY Engineer SSgt William J. Delehanty (KIA, BR) NY Radio / Bathtub Gunner Pfc Robert E. Altman, 6972511 (WIA, survived) Assistant Radio / Gunner Pfc Willard L. Money, 6998768 (survived) Waist Gunner SSgt James E. Halkyard, 6562934 (survived) Crashed December 10, 1941 MACR 16024 Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Constructors Number 2046. Delivered to the the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) as B-17C Flying Fortress serial number 40-2045. On June 20, 1941 became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). Assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group (7th BG), 14th Bombardment Squadron (14th BS). No known nickname or nose art. Flown from Hamilton Field to Hickam Field on Oahu in Hawaii. In early September 1941 departs Hickam Field as part of a B-17 formation across the Pacific bound for the Philippines. On September 5, 1941 lands at Midway Airfield to refuel. On September 9, 1941 lands at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby in New Guinea to refuel. On September 10, 1941 lands at Batchelor Field near Darwin to refuel and were the first B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in Australia then departs on the last leg of the flight to the Philippines. At the time, this was the longest mass flight of land based aircraft in the world. On December 2, 1941 attached to the 19th Bombardment Group (19th BG). Mission History On December 10, 1941 took off from San Marcelino Airfield piloted by Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr. as one of six B-17s bound for Clark Field to stage for a mission. Only three landed at 7:30am this bomber plus B-17D 40-3091 pilot Lt. Schaetzel and B-17D 40-3086 pilot Montgomery. The other three did not land fearing a Japanese air raid. On the ground, this B-17 was only partially armed with three 600 pound bombs then took off again at 9:30am in haste fearing another Japanese air raid and was one of four B-17s on a mission to bomb Japanese ships off Aparri and Vigan on northern Luzon. During the night, this convoy had been spotted and earlier that morning was bombed during the first American bombing mission of the Pacific War. Over Aparri, B-17D 40-3091 piloted by Lt. Schaetzel spotted enemy transports and released his bombs from 25,000' before being jumped by Zeros and dove down to 7,000'. Arriving over Aparri next, this B-17 arrived over the ships and pilot Kelly saw no targets and proceeded south towards Vigan where Kelly spotted Heavy Cruiser Ashigara (falsely claimed to be Battleship Haruna). Bombardier Cpl Meyer Levin salvoed all three bombs from 22,000' and claimed one hit and observed a seaplane taking off from warship. In fact, no damage was sustained by Ashigara or any vessel and no battleship was part of the invasion force. Before reaching Clark Field, this B-17 was intercepted by A6M2 Zeros from Tainan Kōkūtai including Saburo Sakai at roughly 12,000' near Mount Arayat. During the first firing pass, the Zeros hit the nose section with gunfire that damaged the pilot's instrument panel and killed engineer SSgt Delehanty instantly when the top of his head was blown off. Pfc Altman suffered a scalp wound from a metal splinter inside the plane. Afterwards, the same Zeros made repeated firing passes and started a fire in the bomb bay that engulfed the rear of the bomber and disabled two engines. Heavily damaged, Kelly ordered his crew to bail out while he and co-pilot Robbins held the bomber level. Several of the crew were strafed by the Zeros as they descended but all landed unhurt with the exception of Bean who was hit by a bullet in the ankle from the strafing. Pilot Kelly bailed out but his parachute failed to open for unknown reasons and was killed on impact. An explosion blew co-pilot Robbins out of the observation dome, but he was able to open his parachute and landed safely. As the crew descended in their parachutes, they were strafed by the Zeros. As the stricken bomber descended, it exploded again and impacted the ground roughly six miles east of Clark Field near Mount Arayat. Delehanty who was already dead went down with the bomber. Fates of the Crew The crew that parachuted landed in the vicinity of Clark Field and quickly returned to duty. Four of the former crew: Robins, Halkyard, Money and Altman remained in the Philippines. All four became Prisoners Of War (POWs) when U.S. forces in the Philippines surrendered. Robins died October 24, 1944 aboard Arisan Maru. Halkyard, Money and Altman survived captivity in the Philippines until the end of the Pacific War. Recovery of Remains After the crash, Kelly's body was found nearby the bomber, his parachute failed to open for unknown reasons. The remains of Delehanty were found inside the wreckage. Postwar, both were recovered and transported to the United States for permanent burial. Wreckage The nose section of the B-17 was burned out. Afterwards, Filipino youth Daniel Dizon visited the crash site and made an ink drawing of the bomber and took a photograph of the wreckage. He also recovered a junction box from the radio compartment. Memorials Kelly was officially declared dead December 10, 1941. For this mission, Kelly was posthumously nominated for a Medal of Honor, but instead earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Afterwards, he was regarded as America's first war hero and the legend of his exploits were exaggerated, including the claim that after ordering his crew to bail out and that he dove the stricken bomber into an enemy warship, Neither claim was true. When his father wrote the U.S. Army for specifics about how his son died in December 1942 or early 1942, officials claimed that Kelly died in the bomber crash, this was also not accurate. Postwar, he was permanently buried at Madison Oak Ridge Cemetery in Madison, Florida. His grave includes the epitaph: "To Honor Colin Kelly First American Hero of World War II 1915 1941 Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends." In a park across from the courthouse in Madison, Florida is The Four Freedoms Monument dedicated to the memory of World War II hero, Captain Colin P. Kelley, Jr. dedicated on June 14, 1944 and sponsored by the Madison County Memorial Post No. 88 of the American Legion. At Clark Air Base, there is a memorial plaque and bust of Kelly. A painting "Captain Colin Kelly" was displayed inside the Kelly Theater, named in his honor until the 1992 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, this painting was transported to the USAF Museum. A white marble monument with three angles and brass plaque dedicated to Colin Kelly is located at Madison, Florida. Delehanty was permanently buried at Long Island National Cemetery, plot H, grave 9431. Levin was hailed as the first Jewish-American war hero and "Meyer Levin Day" was celebrated in Brooklyn, NY with a commemorative plaque given to his parents by local politicians. Afterwards, he was evacuated to Australia and continued to fly combat missions as a bombardier assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG) in New Guinea until he went Missing In Action (MIA) on January 7, 1941 aboard B-17F 41-24383 that ditched into the Gulf of Papua. In Australia, he had an Australian wife and fathered a son. Levin earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DSC), Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart posthumously. He is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Robins remained in the Philippines and became a Prisoner Of War (POW). During October 1944 he was one of 1,782 American Prisoners of War (POW) embarked aboard Arisan Maru. On October 24, 1944 torpedoed by USS Shark (SS-314) and went down with the ship and remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA). He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Purple Heart. Robins is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Relatives Colin P. "Corky" Kelly, III (son of Collin P. Kelly) Attended and graduated from West Point, became an Episcopal priest and served as Assistant Chaplain at the Point. After retiring from the Military, he became pastor of an Episcopal church in New Mexico during which time he was honored by invitation from the 1996 104th U.S. Congress to give the opening prayer. Eugene Eisenberg adds: "In 1942, I met Kelly's wife and son Corky. I became very close to the Kelly family and also Corky. I also spent time with Bob Altman, Joe Bean, Willard Money and James Halkyard who is still alive today in Washington State. I have also have the original drawing by Dizon who made the original drawing and took a photograph of the wreckage in December 1941. I also have several pictures of the original crew taken on Midway Airfield September 5, 1941. References Note, some sources misspell Robbins (sic Robins). Other sources claim this bomber was assigned to the 30th Bomb Squadron (30th BS). USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17C Flying Fortress 40-2045 "2045 (30th BS, 19th BG [sic]) shot down by Japanese fighters Dec 10, 1941 Luzon, Philippines. First USAAF B-17 lost in actual combat. Capt Colin P. Kelly killed." 19th Bomb Group Diary, December 10, 1941 "Capt. Kelly and Lt. Schaetzel took off.." NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - James E. Halkyard NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Willard L. Money NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File does not list Robert E. Altman by name or service number NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Donald D. Robins Missing Air Crew Report 16024 (MACR 16024) created retroactively circa September 1945 (Page 2) "Information regarding Capt. Colin F. Kelly, 14 September 1945" (Page 3) "d. Kelly and Delehanty were killed on 10 December 1941. Since that date Levin and Robbins [sic Robins] have been killed; Halkyard and Money are still listed as either missing or POW [both were POW, liberated at the end of the Pacific War]; Altman, former POW, has returned to the US., Bean is presently in the U.S." In Alis Vincimus (On Wings We Conquer) by Gil Cohen depicts B-17C 40-2045 being serviced before the December 10, 1941 mission, the original painting is owned by Eugene Eisenberg. They Fought with What They Had by John D. Shaw represents Lt. Henry Godman, Set. Meyer Levin, Sgt. James Halkyard, Lt. Joseph Bean (kneeling), Capt. Colin Kelly, Sgt. John Wallach, Sgt. .J W. DeLahanty, Pfc. Robert Altman, Pfc. W. Money (on bumper). Shown on the jeep (left to right): Lt. William Bohnaker, Lt. Edward Jacquet, Lt. Harl Pease Jr., Lt. Jack Heinzel, Lt. Don Robins (kneeling) Fortress Against The Sun (2001) pages 65-68, 71, 142, 242, 314, 372, 382, 397, 401, 450, 457 December 8, 1941 MacArthur's Pearl Harbor (2003) by William Bartsch pages 137 (photo Altman), 237-238 (to Del Monte and recon Formosa), 408 (painting), 408 (10th mission), 435 (appendix G, 14th BS officers), 476 (footnotes 18, 19), 543 (index Kelly), 554 (index) Leyte Calling (1945) pages 14-15: "I helped load the bombs into his [Kelly's] Fortress and scribbled my name on three of them. I don't think anybody else signed the bombs because everyone else was busier than I was. Anyway, I don't know yet why i signed the bombs. I just wanted something to do, I guess." Air Force Magazine "Valor: Colin Kelly" by John L. Frisbee June 1994, Vol. 77, No. 6= "Legend of Colin Kelly" painting by Robert Taylor "Captain Colin Kelly" painting was displayed at the Kelly Theater at Clark Air Force Base, after the 1992 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, this painting was transported to USAF Museum Ken’s Men Against The Empire Volume I (2016) pages 109-110 (Levin/Kelly), 313 (Levin), 395 (index Kelly), 396 (index Levin) FindAGrave - Collin Purdie Kelly, Jr. (photo, Madison, Four Freedoms monument photo) FindAGrave - Sgt William J Delehanty (grave photo) FindAGrave - Sgt William J Delehanty (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Donald D Robins FindAGrave - 2LT Donald D Robins (tablets of the missing photo) Thanks to Tony Feredo, William Bartsch and Eugene Eisenberg for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 19, 2021
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