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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth K  Kelly, James |
[UP] - Kane, Terence - Kavin, Kev - Kayll, Joseph - Kearns, Terry - Keatings, John - Kelbrick, William - Kellow, Raymond - Kelly, James - Kelly-Rogers, John - Kemp, Eric - Kemp, N - Kendall, Robert - Kennedy, Irving - Kennedy, Steve - Kent, B - Kenwright, Ernest - Kerry, H - Key, Ted - Keys, Cecil - Kingaby, Don - Kingcome, Brian - Kings, Robert - Kirby, Harold - Kirtland, Bert - Kneen, Kenneth - Knight, Bill - Knightley, Eric - Knights, Bob - Kornicki, Franciszek - Krause, Charles - Kyle, James - Kynoch, William |
Warrant Officer James Kelly
Radio Operator Jim Kelly served RAF 419 Moose Squadron. James Kelly was the wireless operator on the fateful Mynarksi Lancaster bomber. They were flying a mission over Cambrai on the night of June 12th and 13th when the aircraft was hit. Four of the crew members: Brophy, navigator Robert Bodie, radio operator James Kelly and pilot de Breyne were hidden by the French and, except for Brophy, returned to England shortly after the crash.
| Warrant Officer James Kelly - Signed Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
Clipped Signature - James Kelly. Served as a radio operator on Lancasters with No.419 (Canadian) Sqn of the Royal Air Force. He escaped the burning Lancaster famous for the Victoria Cross of Andrew Mynarski and hidden by the French, evaded capture and returned to England. |
Mynarskis Lanc by Nicolas Trudgian. Lancaster V-RA, with its young Canadian crew, flew just a handful of operations. On the night of June 12, 1944, it was set afire by a JU88, forcing the crew to bale out. Seeing the rear gunner trapped Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski vainly braved the inferno to help, losing his parachute to the flames. He was forced to jump without it. Miraculously the burning Lancaster pancaked, and the rear gunner survived. Andrew Mynarski was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously. Mynarskis Lancaster is depicted setting out on that fateful night. Four of the crew members: Brophy, navigator Robert Bodie, radio operator James Kelly and pilot de Breyne were hidden by the French and, except for Brophy, returned to England shortly after the crash. Vigars and the wounded bomb aimer Friday were captured by the Germans and interned until they could be liberated by American troops. Pat Brophy joined French Resistance fighters and, after waging war on the ground behind enemy lines, made it back to London in September, 1944 where he learned of Mynarskis death. It was not until 1945 when Pat Brophy was reunited with Art de Breyne and the rest of the crew, that the details of his final moments on the aircraft were revealed. He related the story of the valiant efforts made by Mynarski to save him. |
Early Morning Arrival by Robert Taylor. V-RA is seen on final approach to RAF Colerne early on the morning of 6 June 1944. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
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