MenuView Cart

Neel Kearby's Last Mission by Jim Laurier

Neel Kearby's Last Mission by Jim Laurier (P-47 Thunderbolt)
Neel Kearby's Last Mission by Jim Laurier (P-47 Thunderbolt)
Neel Kearby's Last Mission by Jim Laurier (P-47 Thunderbolt)
Neel Kearby's Last Mission by Jim Laurier (P-47 Thunderbolt)
Neel Kearby's Last Mission by Jim Laurier (P-47 Thunderbolt)
Click To Enlarge
Lieutenant Colonel Neel E. Kearby of the 348th Fighter Group flew his last mission on March 5, 1944, to Wewak and a Japanese airfield at Dagua. From 22,000 feet, his group spotted a number of Japanese...  >Read More
$185.00
Select from: 
Qty:
Prints are signed by the artist and numbered

Choose from:

  • 500 Limited Edition Giclées on Paper....$185
  • 50 Limited Edition Giclées w/ Remarque....$285

  • 50 Limited Edition Giclées on Canvas....$625
  • Lieutenant Colonel Neel E. Kearby of the 348th Fighter Group flew his last mission on March 5, 1944, to Wewak and a Japanese airfield at Dagua. From 22,000 feet, his group spotted a number of Japanese aircraft at about 1,000 feet, apparently preparing to land. The P-47s dove at high speed and tore into Japanese "Nell" and "Lily" bombers, downing several on the first pass. Within minutes, however, Ki-43 "Oscar" and Ki-61 "Tonys" came to the bombers' aid. All of the aircraft were in a swirling mass at low altitude when Kearby suddenly found an Oscar on his tail. He tried desperately to bank and climb as Capt. Bill Dunham made a head-on pass at the pursuing Oscar in an attempt to shake it off Kearby's tail. Dunham caught a brief glimpse of Kearby opening his canopy. He was apparently hit and may have been attempting to bail out or evacuate cockpit smoke.

    In 1947, a Royal Australian Air Force search party found Kearby's wrecked P-47, Fiery Ginger IV, near Pibu, New Guinea, 140 miles away. Islanders found Kearby hanging from his parachute in a tree, already dead, and buried him. Kearby's remains were disinterred and returned to Dallas, Texas, where he was reburied at Hillcrest Memorial Park on July 23, 1949.
    Shop by Artist
    Shop by Aircraft