Source

State Archives of Florida, Series S406

Description

Telegram from Florida Governor Spessard Holland to Mr. and Mrs. Colin P. Kelly Sr. expressing sympathy following the death of their son, Colin P. Kelly Jr. during World War II.

Date

1941-12-12

Creator

Holland, Spessard L. (Spessard Lindsey), 1892-1971

Format

Telegrams

Coverage

Florida during World War II (1939-1945)

Topic

Military And Veterans

Subjects

Florida. Governor (1941-1945 : Holland)
Heroes
Kelly, Colin Purdie, II, 1915-1941
Kelly, Colin Purdie, Sr., 1882-1973
Kelly, Mamie Mays, 1884-1957
World War II
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945--Casualties

Geographic Term

Tallahassee
Leon County
Madison County
Madison

General Note

Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. of Madison County, Florida, became one of America's first heroes of World War II. A 1937 graduate of West Point, the 29-year-old Kelly was a B-17 pilot in the Army Air Corps, stationed in the Philippines in December 1941 when the islands came under Japanese attack. On December 10, Kelly's plane was sent on a bombing mission to attack Japanese ships off the coast of Luzon. The crew spotted a large ship they believed to be the battleship Haruna and from a height of 20,000 dropped three 600-pound bombs. Though smoke obscured the target, Kelly and his men believed that at least one bomb struck the ship and that the ship was probably destroyed. In fact, the Haruna was not in the vicinity and Kelly's plane had perhaps bombed a large transport or the light cruiser Ashigara, neither of which had sunk. On the return to its base at Clark Field, a Japanese fighter attacked and severely damaged the American bomber. Kelly ordered his crew to bail out, but he unable to exit the plane before it crashed. He was killed instantly.