Person    | Male  Born 15/6/1892  Died 6/2/1975

Sir Keith Park

Categories: Armed Forces

Countries: Argentina, New Zealand

Air Chief Marshal. Born New Zealand. Working in the NZ merchant navy when WW1 came along. Volunteered first for the NZ navy but transferred and worked for a time in the British army. On being wounded he got himself transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. Married a London girl. Successful career with rapid promotions. In 1940 he reached Air Vice-Marshal. One of the organisers of the successful Dunkirk evacuation. Commanded number 11 group Fighter Command which defended London and South East England successfully during the Battle of Britain. At the time the value of his tactics was not recognised and he left 11 group unrecognised. By 1947 his importance was acknowledged in a quote from Lord Tedder, chief of the air staff: "If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don't believe it is realised how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world." And in 1948 a Southern Railway locomotive was named after him.

Went on to work in Argentina for Hawker Siddeley and in New Zealand as a local councillor and for charities. Died Auckland.

 

 

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir Keith Park

Commemorated ati

Sir Keith Park

A resin version of this statue was temporarily installed in Trafalgar Square ...

Read More

Other Subjects

H. A. Clark

H. A. Clark

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Lance Corporal Ernest George Arnold

Lance Corporal Ernest George Arnold

Ernest George Arnold was born on 26 April 1889 in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, the second of the six children of Thomas Arnold (1859-1928) and Ellen Arnold née Pateman (1861-1934). The birth of Er...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
C. Knott

C. Knott

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
T. Croft

T. Croft

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
A. W. North

A. W. North

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States 1801-9. During his lifetime he owned over 600 slaves. For a...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Seriously Famous, USA

1 memorial