Keith Rodney Park

Born 15 Jun 1892 - Died 6 Feb 1975

Service number: WWI 2/1254 AWMM
Also known as: —
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Air Force AWMM
Last rank: Post WW2 Air Chief Marshal/Military AWMM
War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Keith Rodney Park — Auckland Star. (22 April 1948) [Sir Keith Park]. Auckland War Memorial Museum neg. S306. All Rights Reserved

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Biographical information

Keith Park was the son of Professor James Park and Frances (nee Rogers), born in Thames and grew up in Dunedin being educated at Otago Boys' High School. On leaving school he was employed as a junior clerk in the offices of the Union Steam Ship Company in Dunedin. He quickly left the office environment and went to sea as a purser in the company's ships.

He married Dorothy (Dol) Parrish in Buenos Aires in 1918 when he was Air Attache there. They had two sons: Colin and Ian Keith Woodbine.

He has been described as tall, quiet and very aloof but having a keen sense of humour and participating in any fun in the Mess but never losing his dignity.

At the outbreak of the First World War he became a gunner in the New Zealand Artillery. Park's commission was granted in Gallipoli in August 1915 for services in the field and was transferred to the 29th Division. He stayed in Gallipoli until the evacuation and, as Lieutenant, went to the Western Front. He was wounded at the Somme and relegated to home service as an Artillery Officer Instructor at Woolwich.

He applied to the Royal Flying Corps and was accepted in December 1916, completed training and became an instructor. In July 1917 he joined 48 Squadron to fly Bristol Fighters. He became flight commander in September 1917, receiving the Military Cross and Bar. He also received a French Croix de Guerre.

On two occasions he was shot down, first by AA and once by Unteroffizier Ungewitter of SchlachtStaffel 5. He crash landed A7229 and was unhurt. He took over command of 48 Squadron in April 1918. By the end of the war he had accounted for 20 enemy machines.

Between the World Wars he commanded 25 Squadron and 111 Squadron and in 1935 was a Group Captain as Air Attache in Buenos Aires. He was aide de camp to King George VI at the 1937 coronation.

During World War 2 he was AOC of 11 Group, Fighter Command during the critical days of the Battle of Britain. In this position he was responsible for the defence of London and south east England. In 1942 he commanded the fighter defences of Malta and later served as AOC in Burma.

His funeral was marked by military honours, including a flypast, by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

In his eulogy to Sir Keith Park, Air Marshall Sir Rochford Hughes referred to the events after the Battle of Britain: 'In spite of his outstanding success in the Battle of Britain and the invaluable work which as Chief of Staff of Fighter Command he had done in the two years before the war in organising the new radar control and reporting system upon which his successful control of the fighting later so largely depended, Keith Park, as well as his Commander in Chief, Air Marshall Dowding, failed to receive what would seem to be their due reward. Dowding was retired and Keith Park given a new, unexciting appointment. There had been criticism from some of his contemporaries about the tactics he employed. There were the inevitable jealousies. Possibly these were the reasons.'

And of the time Sir Keith commanded Malta he said: 'In less than two years however, Keith Park was back in the thick of it under much the same circumstances but this time as Air Commander of the lonely fortress of Malta which was under constant attack by the Germans and Italians. Operating in the same area, I often used to hear amusing stories of the incredible AOC. Frequently when the bombs were falling thick and fast and everyone who could was flattening himself in a slit trench, the tall, lean figure of Keith Park would be seen with Glengarry cap walking calmly out to greet, and stroll back with some unhappy pilot who through battle damage or fuel shortage was forced to land. The stroll back with their Air Commander was considered far more "hairy" than the battle up top!'

The Auckland War Memorial Museum has on display in the exhibition 'The End At Last' of 'Scars on the Heart', two swords surrendered by Japanese generals commanding the Air Army in Malaya to Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park at the formal surrender ceremony in Singapore on 12 September 1945. AWMM

Sources

External links: Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R21383814
Further Reference
Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign
http://www.sirkeithpark.com/
Further Reference
Sir Keith Park, saviour of Britain.
http://www.nzedge.com/heroes/park.html
Further Reference
Sir Keith Park honoured. (1999). Air Force News, 99.
http://www.airforce.mil.nz/operations/airforce-news/archive/99/sir-keith-park.htm
Further Reference
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Published on Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand online.
http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=5P9
Further Reference
Battle of Britain Historical Society website.
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
Further Reference
Chloe Blommerde, 'Fighter replica brings Thames link to Battle of Britain alive on 80th anniversary', www.stuff.co.nz, 13 September 2020
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122752101/fighter-replica-brings-thames-link-to-battle-of-britain-alive-on-80th-anniversary
Further Reference
Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q963245
Further Reference
References: Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
p. xiv
New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 562
Shores, C. (1991). Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces, 1915-1920. London, England: Grub Street.
Orange, V. (1984). A biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park. London, England: Methuen.
Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait
Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn].
McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
Royal New Zealand Air Force. (1941–1945). Contact: National magazine of the R.N.Z.A.F.; the official organ of the Air Force Association (Inc.). Levin, New Zealand: Royal New Zealand Air Force.
V7,n5,p16 v7,n6,p23,33
Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
Stubbs, D. (2025). The Hornets’ nest: Malta and the Mediterranean air war, 1940–1942. Independently published.

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Keith Rodney Park