ERNIE BOYETTE
Ernie was born to poor parents on a sweet potato farm in Green Cove Springs, Florida. The family raised chickens, rabbits and agriculural foods. The last of seven children, his father died when he was two years old. Growing up, Ernie always helped his mother and encouraged her in her self-taught wildlife painting. When she passed away in 1985, she left him her art supplies and some blank canvasses.
Bored with a job he disliked, he decided to figure out how to paint one night in 1986. He pulled out his mom's "art stuff" and started. Never having an art lesson in life other than what he was taught in public school, Ernie did about ten paintings over the next several years. Trained in marketing, in June 1991, he decided to try art as a business. Convinced he had talent, he swore he would be making his living from his artwork, writing and photography.
Not knowing what he wanted to paint, he liked airplanes and military so he tried that. He started painting one airplane after another. In the spring of 1993, he received his first commission from an F-18 Squadron stationed at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida. Commander John "Lites" Leenhouts employed him to do a black and white Limited Edition of their squadron aircraft.
In 1994 he started his series "Famous American Aviators". His first prints were his heroes, George Gay and Robert "Bob" Scott. Between January 1991 and December 2000 he painted no less than 150 paintings. From March 1993 to September 2000 he published 42 Limited Edition prints along with 36 poster prints. In the fall of 2002 he was commissioned by Cook Cleland's family to paint all three of the F2G Corsair racers that he flew in the late 1940's at the Ohio Air Races. Cook won the Thompson Trophy in 1947 and 1949. Ernie had worked with Cook in 1997 with a print of the SBD dive-bomber he flew in WWII.
In March of 2003 Ernie was officially knighted as a “Knight of Vision” for his efforts in telling the stories of Great britain's famous aviators. Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette now signs all his original paintings as Sir Hamilton.
His artwork is now marketed nationwide in aviation museum gift shops including the Smithsonian. In November of 2006 his artwork was selected by the new Pearl Harbor Museum, Hawaii, to be sold in their gift shop. Ernie's artwork has also appeared in the Aviation History magazine and his prints are marketed worldwide.
Ernie Boyette S/N Limited Edition Print "SBD Divebomber pilot Cook Cleland"
Limited Edition 12" by 18" Print Signed and numbered by the artist and co-signed by SBD Divebomber pilot Cook Cleland
In June 1944, Lieutenant Cook Cleland served with Bombing 16 aboard the aircraft carrier Lexington. Bombing 16 was equipped with 34 SBD’s. At this time, the SBD was being replaced in the fleet with the SB2C Helldiver. Cook was known as Cookie and had a reputation with his rear gunner W. J. Hisler as being an aggressive duo who thrived on combat.
During a past raid on Mili Atol, Cleland spotted a Japanese "Betty" bomber. Cook pulled in behind the twin-engine bomber and weaved back and forth in an effort to avoid the 20mm machine gun in the tail of the enemy aircraft. He fired into the bombers engine causing it to smoke. Unfortunately the SBD was equipped with a single 7.9 mm gun in the cowling. After firing a few bursts into the engine and wing of the "Betty", Cook's machine gun froze up or jammed. Cleland then flew alongside the Betty, while Hisler fired broad side at the enemy plane. Both planes flew together slugging it out with Hisler firing into the Jap plane with his twin 30-caliber machine guns from his rear position. Bullets from each aircraft raked the other. Imagine two sailing ships sailing side by side firing broadside after broadside at each other. This is what happened in the air. Cook realized that he would not be able to bring down the Japanese bomber this way and that he and Hisler were at risk of damage or death. Cook noticed that the bomber was losing speed from the damaged engine. Cook called back to Hisler and told him to wait for the right shot. Cook then poured on the power of his SBD and pulled ahead of the "Betty". As Cook pulled ahead far enough, Hisler fired his twin machine guns directly into the windshield and faces of the Japanese pilot and co-pilot. This brought the Japanese bomber down into the sea.
Cook and Hisler claimed many Japanese fighters together. His claim for the “Betty” and several of Hisler’s were acknowledged by the Navy. However, the other claims by Cook and his gunner were not.
Cleland and Hisler were to take part in the last carrier-to-carrier battle flying the Dauntless. The battle shaping up was near the Marianna Islands. The Japanese were desperate to stop the Americans as they advanced towards Japan. The Japanese Imperial Navy was equipped with nine carriers while the American Task Force 58 had seven large and eight light carriers. Once the Japanese carriers were spotted, Admiral Mitscher consulted with his squadron leaders. The enemy’s location was at the most extreme range of his aircraft. Finally Mitscher launched his aircraft. This was considered to some as a suicidal mission since Mitscher discussed in detail with all of his airmen that once the Navy air armada took off, they might never be able to make it back. And if the Navy pilots did make it back to the carriers it would be in the dark. The problem was that only a handful of the Navy pilots had ever been qualified to fly and land at night. This was not a procedure yet developed by the Navy.
Cleland told Hisler “This is the job the SBD was made for, fleet action. Watch our smoke!” Cleland flew his favorite SBD number 39. Cook had flown many missions with Old 39. In a past raid on Palau, Old 39 had been badly damaged and Cleland had to land on the Enterprise. The Enterprise deck crew wanted to push his plane overboard but Cleland was able to talk them out of it. Once Old 39 was patched up, Cleland and Hisler flew it back to the Lexington.
After several hours of flying, the American aerial armada found the enemy carriers and started their attack. Cleland and Bombing 16 were the last group to attack their targets. Dive-bomber pilots dreamed to be able to line up an enemy carrier in their sights. And not very many ever had the opportunity. Cleland dove down on the carrier Junyo. Old 39 took a succession of hits from light-caliber weapons and then a 20-mm shell hit his starboard wing smashing a fist-sized hole through it. This staggered Cook's SBD in the dive. Cook was able to bring his SBD back on his target, which was growing larger by the second in his windscreen. Concentrating on the target, Cook’s Old 39 was then hit with a 40-mm anti-aircraft shell, which put a two-foot hole in the same wing. Again Cook's SBD was staggered and Cook fought the controls to bring the carrier back in his sights. With the carrier looming closer and closer, Cleland pressed forward with determination when another 40-mm cannon shell hit his aircraft blowing out the bottom under his rear gunner. Knocked off his target, Cleland rolled back and lined up the carrier in his sites. Cook pressed on and released his bomb. Pulling out of his dive Cook and Hisler sped across the top of the water away from the Japanese carrier. Hisler watched their bomb hit the carrier ten feet forward of the stern. Cleland was the last SBD pilot to hit a Japanese Carrier. While regrouping with his fellow pilots, they were attacked by avenging Zeros. Cook counted eighteen Zeros against his fellow SBD pilots and four defending Hellcats. Cook was not able to maneuver very much to defend himself because of the damage to his SBD. He and the other SBDs flew low over the water so that the attacking Zero’s could not attack them from below. Cook told me how gut wrenching this was with Zero's swarming like angry hornets trying to avenge their losses. Cook had to constantly weave back and forth to keep the pursuing enemy fighters from picking him off. The Zeros were also weaving with the SBDs trying to hit the fleeing bombers. As one of the Zeros, which was to the left of Hisler, tried to slide in behind “Old 39”, Hisler was able to rake the attacker from his engine to the rudder. The Zero belched black smoke and then started to flame from under the cowling. Hisler watched the doomed pilot try to save his fighter when the canopy was suddenly engulfed in flames and the wing of the Zero dipped and the light gray fighter plunged into the sea sending parts of the fighter into a cartwheel. Finally, the enemy fighters broke away after losing a few of their numbers and the carrier pilots were now alone. The tension of battle was relieved from Cook and Hisler for the moment. Cook and Hisler talked and laughed about the downed Zero. If Hisler had not been good and quick the splash in the water could have been “Old 39”.
Admiral Mitscher wanted his airmen back safely and ordered the lights turned on his carriers, which made the fleet venerable to any prowling Jap submarines. Even with the lights on, landing on a carrier in a moonless night with a damaged gas starved aircraft was the most dangerous condition Cleland faced. Cook made two approaches on the Princeton and two more on the Lexington. Every time Cook was waved off and as he tried to circle back for another attempt he would simply try another carrier if it was closer. Cook and the other aircraft were desperate trying to land circling round and round in the dark. Left and right Cook watched his fellow aviators who ran out of gas slash down into the now black water. His gas gauge was now setting on empty. Amazingly enough, a few of the aircraft that were trying to land were Zeros that had become lost and were following the other aircraft. Cook finally lined up and landed on the Enterprise. Upon landing, his engine ran out of fuel with his prop spinning to a stop. "Old 39" had brought him back again.
All artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain currrent as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.
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