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Cenotaph record

Keith Logan Caldwell

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Portrait, Major Keith Logan Caldwell - No known copyright restrictions

Portrait, Major Keith Logan Caldwell - No known copyright restrictions

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Keith Logan AWMM
  • Surname
    Caldwell AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Grid AWMM
  • Service number
    • WWI 1122 AWMM
    • WWII 1075 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    16 October 1895 AWMM AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
    Farmer/Civilian AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW1 Mr D.R. Caldwell (father), Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Husband of Dorothy Helen Gordon.

      Most successful New Zealand fighter pilot of the First World War with 25 victories in aerial combat

      A graduate of the first course of the Walsh brothers' flying school

      Auckland War Memorial Museum Scars on the Heart World War 1 "Flying Aces" display. Display item is a Spandau Aircooled Machine-gun which Keith Caldwell took from a German Fokker D VII aircraft AWMM
    • BRAVE AUCKLAND AIRMAN
      BROUGHT DOWN 24 GERMANS. MAJOR CALDWELL'S EXPLOITS.
      "The New Zealand Ace" is the title gained by Major Keith L. Caldwell, M.C., D.F.C. and Bar, the only son of Mr D. R. Caldwell, of Auckland (says the New Zealand Herald). Major Caldwell has had many thrilling adventures at the front. He gained his M.C. for bringing down the first live enemy machines, and altogether is officially credited with the destruction of 21 machines, while three others were seen descending out of control, but were not officially recognised as bagged. He had a rather exciting experience a few weeks before the signing of the armistice, and it was only by a narrow margin he escaped death. He was flying over "No Man's Land" when he met in collision Flight commander Carlin, whose machine's tail was torn off. Carlin landed behind the lines safely, but Major Caldwell was not so fortunate, for the wing of his machine was torn off, and it was only his quick resource which saved his life. He managed to get off his seat and balance himself oil the remaining struts of the wing in an attempt to maintain the aeroplane's equilibrium. He was rushed earthward at the rate of about 140 miles an hour, and he finally landed just behind the British lines his machine being dashed to pieces, while he himself avoided disaster only by jumping to earth at an opportune moment.

      During his service he had been six times shot down by hostile machines, but on each occasion managed to land within the lines and escape practically unhurt.

      On one occasion his aggressor was a German named Voss, a crack airman, who was born in Australia. On a later occasion he had the satisfaction of seeing his victor brought down in .flames.

      One of his most perilous adventures was when, with five comrades, he was engaged by 21 Germans 10 miles behind the enemy lines. The fight began at a height of 17,000ft, and concluded at 6000 ft.

      On this occasion Carlin, after doing- some particularly fine fighting, was sent crashing to the earth, where he was made a captive. Several enemy machines were destroyed and the four remaining intrepid Britishers] after a nerve-racking fight against overwhelming odds, managed to reach the British lines with their machines practically in ribbons.

      Again he was in a fight in which five British machines tackled eight enemy planes of which they accounted for seven.

      Major Caldwell arrived in Sydney by the Bremen, and is now awaiting transport to New Zealand. He was one of the first pupils to graduate at the New Zealand Flying School at Kohirmarama. " Public - Sarndra - Researcher - 6 September 2015 - National Library of New Zealand; Paperspast portal; http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=ODT19190809.2.27&e=-------10--1----0--
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    28 November 1980 AWMM
    Age 85 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

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Sources

Sources

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Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
08 August 2020StoneyTuakau NZResearcher
06 September 2015SarndraAuckland, New ZealandResearcher

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