An Airman’s Story

Nat Quick - Artist Extraordinaire R.I.P.
Commissioned by Stuart Munson
“The Irish Shillalah Strikes” - Captain Jim Finnegan 9th AF

General Adolph Galland, the Fighter General, was a legend in the German "Luftwaffe." He flew Fighters in the all volunteer German "Condor Sqdn" in the late 30s in the Spanish Civil War. He was one of the leading German Fighter Aces in "The Battle of Britain" 1939-40. He was one of their very best of the Best. At the end in the last months of WWII he was battling the Nazi leadership to turn loose the new German Jets into Fighters vs Fighter Bombers. He was finally allowed to form his own Jet Fighter Group. The new Jets had a big advantage over the prop Fighters such as the P-51s or P-47s in flat out speed. In a dive nothing could outrun a P-47 " Thunderbolt." The Fighter General was soon to find out. On the 26th of April 1945 Galland was leading his Jet outfit against B-26 [MB] Marauders in the vicinity of Munich / Bavaria. In two passes he blew apart two B-26s. If he was not stopped the whole sqdn could have been shot down in flames. Flying Top Cover was the 50th FG 9th AF flying P-47s. Capt. Jim Finnegan saw the mele far below him and dove down on a ME-262 with his speed picking up well over 500 + mph. He raised the nose and let go with a barrage of 8 .50 cal API MGs spraying the Wing route and Jet engine nacelle area. As Jim pulled up and rolled over for another pass, Adolph Galland dove into a cloud bank with his right Jet engine on fire. He soon crashed. Capt. Finnegan marked this up in his report as a "Probable." Many years passed after the air battle. In 1979 a young aviation historian out of Los Angeles. Henry Sakaide tracked the records and later after dedicated research reunited both men at an Air Force Association gathering in San Francisco, CA. Former combatants became the best of friends. Both men made regular visits to the U. S. and to Germany with their families. Jim always said: "Galland was no die hard Nazi. He just loved to fly airplanes and he became a Fighter Pilot." Henry Sakaida was one of the best out there with his work. A finer man hard to find. Henry passed away 10 + years ago.

Jim and Fran Finnegan were friends with my Mother before I was born. They met at USF in San Francisco, CA. Post WWII. Jim was a sterling football player at USF back in the day. He later Coached Pop Warner [me] Football, and later post college days, in our local charity All Star games, that I played in with his sons. Jim Finnegan Sr. was a lifelong friend of mine as are his sons. A few months ago we lost Stewart Munson. Stew headed West. He was a real American Patriot. Stew, commissioned Nat Quick, through my introductions, with all parties for Nat to produce this amazing piece of aviation history. Nat headed West in 2017. We finally got it done for you Stew. Same goes with you Nat... it`s out there now being seen as it should. And so it goes...now you guys are the Top Cover. Godspeed!

- Leon J. Delisle