The Airmen's Stories - Air Vice Marshal Keith Park

Keith Rodney Park was born in the town of Thames, south east of Auckland, New Zealand on 15th June 1892. His Scottish-born father, James, spent four years as a sheep farmer in New Zealand before gradually establishing an international reputation as a geologist. At the time of Park’s birth his father was director of the Thames School of Mines. He was also a mountaineer and explorer. Park’s mother was formerly Frances Rogers.

Park was a boarder at King’s College, Auckland. He acquired a love of sailing which stayed with him all his life. He moved to Otago Boys’ High School, Dunedin after his father was appointed Professor of Mining at Otago University.

In 1911 Park started to work for the Union Steam Ship Company. He became a purser.

In 1914 Park volunteered for the New Zealand expeditionary force and in January 1915 sailed to Egypt as a lance bombardier. He served with a howitzer battery and took part in the landing at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 25th April. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in July, he participated in the Suvla Bay landings in August and then received a regular commission in the British army, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Field Artillery. His battery was evacuated to Suez and, in March 1916, it was sent to the Somme front in France.

Park had long wished to join the Royal Flying Corps. In October he was wounded and sent to England. At the end of the year he managed to achieve a transfer to the RFC.

He learned to fly at Netheravon and then had a spell as an instructor at Rendcomb (Gloucestershire) before being posted, in July 1917, to 48 Squadron, operating Bristol Fighters on the Western Front. From April 1918, until the armistice in November, Park commanded the squadron.

“Park and his various rear-gunners probably destroyed eleven enemy aircraft, damaged (perhaps fatally) at least a further thirteen, and drove away scores; they protected artillery observation aircraft and gathered valuable information from flights behind enemy lines.“ (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.)

He was awarded the MC (gazetted 26th September 1917), a bar (gazetted 27th October 1917), the C de G (French) (gazetted 19th April 1918) and DFC (gazetted 3rd June 1919).

After the war Park served with 25 Squadron. He was awarded a permanent commission, as a Captain, on 1st August 1919. One of his references came from Lt. Col. HA van Ryneveld (Chief of the South African General Staff during the Second World War) who wrote on 5th February 1919 that Park was, “A keen and highly capable officer of strong personality whom it is most desirable to retain in the RAF.”

In 1922 Park attended the first course at the RAF Staff College, Andover. He served as a staff officer in Egypt. While home on leave in 1926 he met, apparently by chance, at the RAF Club, Piccadilly, London, Air Commodore FV Holt, chief of staff at Air Defence of Great Britain, formed the previous year. This resulted in Park being posted to the ADGB staff, ensuring that he was at the centre of the development of the co-ordinated approach to home defence pioneered during the First World War.

From November 1927 to March 1929 Park, now a Squadron Leader, commanded 111 Squadron at Duxford and then Hornchurch. The squadron was equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Siskins. He spent a short period as temporary OC Duxford.

In 1929 Park went to the staff of HQ Fighting Area. For part of his time there Fighting Area was commanded by AVM Hugh Dowding, under whom Park would later serve at Fighter Command. After two years Park became OC Northolt.

He went on to be CFI, Oxford University Air Squadron and Air Attaché, Buenos Aires. He attended the Imperial Defence College and was OC Tangmere.

In addition, during the Coronation year of 1937 he was an ADC to the King.

On 11th June 1938 Park became SASO at HQ Fighter Command, serving under ACM Sir Hugh Dowding. Park was promoted to Air Commodore on 1st July.

On 22nd April 1940 Park, now an acting Air Vice-Marshal, replaced Air Marshal Welsh as AOC 11 Group, with his HQ at Uxbridge. The Group would be in the front line of the Battle of Britain, being responsible for the defence of London and south east England.

Park used a Hurricane as a means of transport. In 2023 Air Historical Branch (RAF) concluded that he was entitled to the Battle of Britain Clasp. In particular this was because he had flown a convoy escort sortie on 10th July. His logbook entry read “Lympne, Convoy, West Malling.”

It was also noted that he had escorted the Prime Minister on 20th July when he had flown from Kenley to Northolt. In addition, Air Commodore EM Donaldson, CO of 151 Squadron for part of the Battle, stated at the time of Park’s death that Park had flown with the squadron during the qualifying period. The AHB decision followed a submission by the author, Dilip Sarkar. Some historians pointed out that this appeared to be the first occasion when a Clasp had been awarded without service with an “accredited unit” being specified.

As AOC key issues with which Park had to contend, included the fundamental requirement to defend London, the chief city of the British Empire and the ring of fighter airfields around it, his Group’s relative closeness to enemy held airfields in France, precluding the assembly of large forces of fighters when enemy formations approached, and the technical limitations of radio direction finding (radar) as it existed in 1940. He also faced a shortage of trained and experienced pilots, particularly as casualties mounted and survivors became exhausted.

On a number of occasions the Prime Minister visited Uxbridge to watch the conduct of the Battle. On a visit on 15th September the Prime Minister was accompanied by Mrs. Churchill. On the day that would prove decisive in the Battle they watched proceedings in the underground operations room. Mr Churchill later recalled that Park walked up and down behind the map table, “watching with vigilant eye every move in the game ……. and only occasionally interfering with some decisive order, usually to reinforce a threatened area.”

Later came the moment, often quoted, when the Prime Minister asked , “What other reserves have we?” and Park answered, “There are none”.

Although it was not clear to the British at the time, it was shortly after the Luftwaffe suffered heavy losses on 15th September that Hitler accepted that no invasion of Britain could take place in 1940.

Dowding was removed from his post in November and Park suffered the same fate in December. The circumstances of the departures of the two commanders generate much controversy even well into the 21st century.

Many commentators have attached much weight to the poor relations between Park and AVM Leigh-Mallory, AOC of 12 Group. One of the issues between them was the “Big Wing” theory advanced by S/Ldr. DRS Bader, CO of 242 Squadron within 12 Group and supported by Leigh-Mallory. This involved multiple squadrons operating together. Based entirely north of the Thames, 12 Group had more time than 11 Group to assemble such formations.

However, the historian Sebastian Cox, long-serving head of Air Historical Branch (RAF), contributing to the book The Burning Blue*, wrote, “Contrary to the account in Robert Wright's biography of Dowding*, the Commander-in-Chief's [Dowding] dismissal in November 1940 was not the result of his failure to support the ‘big wing’ tactics of Bader and Leigh-Mallory. He was removed for a number of reasons of which the most important was his judgement on the question of night air defence,” an issue on which Dowding was in conflict with the Air Council. Cox also pointed to Dowding's direct discussions and correspondence on operational matters with the Prime Minister, behind the backs of the Air Staff. This made it “inevitable” that the appointment of Sir Charles Portal to replace Sir Cyril Newall as CAS would lead to Dowding's departure.

With Dowding gone, to be replaced by Air Marshal Sholto Douglas, the removal of Park also became inevitable. His replacement was Leigh-Mallory.

Park was received by the King at Buckingham Palace on 4th December and made CB. There were many messages of congratulation on his award and his achievements at 11 Group. One came from Air Marshal Leslie Gossage, a predecessor in the post.

Gossage wrote, “(Congratulations on an award) which has seldom, if ever, been more richly deserved. The consequences of what you have achieved may prove well nigh incalculable in the history of the world and my admiration for the way in which you have met and overcome the serious and novel problems which have so frequently confronted you is unbounded.”

Park refused an Air Ministry post and became AOC 23 (Training) Group. He revitalised a flagging Group and increased the output of fighter pilots.

In January 1942 Park was appointed AOC, AHQ Egypt and, six months later he took up the equivalent post in Malta. He quickly devised a form of fighter attack that greatly reduced Axis daylight bombing raids on the island. The fuel situation was desperate in Malta. Park organised the air defence of the Pedestal convoy (the Santa Maria convoy to the Maltese), which entered the Mediterranean, bound for Malta, on the night of 9th/10th August. Despite intense Axis attacks five of the 14 merchant ships eventually reached Malta, most importantly the tanker, SS Ohio, a barely floating wreck towed into Grand Harbour, Valletta by RN ships on 15th August, with most of its cargo of fuel intact.

Park was able to increase offensive operations from Malta against Axis shipping re-supplying forces in north Africa.

He drove around the island in a red MG car, which became known as The Fire Engine, often offering lifts to junior ranks if he had a spare seat. On airfields he used a bicycle to get around, to conserve fuel. Park had tense relations with some other senior figures in Malta, notably the Governor, General Lord Gort VC, a determined advocate of defensive tactics. However, Park was keen to stress the contributions of the other services. He sternly rebuked RAF officers who made fun of the Army’s relative inactivity.

In January 1943 the Daily Telegraph was able to report that, “Malta has been transformed into one vast aircraft carrier.”

In the same month Park was travelling in a Beaufighter to Cairo, with two companions, when five enemy bombers were sighted. Park ordered the pilot to attack them but return fire knocked out the Beaufighter’s port engine and it had to struggle back to Malta. Park was admonished by ACM Douglas, AOC-in-C Middle East Command.

On 20th June the King was in Malta briefly and invested Park with the insignia of a KBE. In July the invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky, took place with Malta used as the forward HQ and Park directing air operations.

Park moved to Cairo in January 1944 as AOC-in-C Middle East Command, with promotion to Air Marshal. He controlled a vast area and was required to generate good relations with a wide range of Allied commanders and other figures.

ACM was killed in an air crash in France on 14th November when travelling to take up the appointment of AOC-in-C South East Asia Command, based in Kandy, Ceylon. Park was appointed to replace him.

An immediate and major task was the re-supply of the 14th Army during its advance on Rangoon. Park retained his habit of visiting frequently a wide variety of units under his command, covering a huge mileage in the process.

As the war came to an end, a priority issue was the evacuation of former prisoners of the Japanese, military and civilian, men, women and children. Park described this as, “the greatest mercy mission of the war.”

In early 1946, Park received a letter from Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Tedder, CAS, which contained the words, “I must tell you frankly that I see no prospect of there being any further appointment open for you in the RAF ……” The need to encourage younger officers was given as a reason. Park was by now an acting Air Chief Marshal and fought, successfully, to retain the rank on leaving the RAF.

During his later service he had been made KBE, CB, KCB and GCB. Wartime likenesses were created by Cuthbert Orde and Sir William Rothenstein (below).

Air Chief Marshal Park retired on 20th December 1946. As a civilian he did work for Hawker Siddeley in Argentina. From 1948 to 1960 he was the company’s Pacific representative, based in Auckland. He was chairman of the committee seeking the establishment of an Auckland International Airport, an aspiration achieved by the New Zealand city in 1966. He served as an Auckland city councillor and supported a number of charities.

Sir Keith died on 6th February 1975 at the Mater Hospital, Auckland, from prostate cancer. He had also had heart issues for some years.

“He received a massive military funeral at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell. Following cremation at Purewa on 12th February 1975 his ashes were scattered by an aircraft into the Waitemata harbour on 20 February.” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

On 25th November 1918, in London, the future Sir Keith Park had married Dorothy (“Dol”) Margarita Parish, daughter of Lt. Col. Woodbine (later Sir Woodbine) Parish, a director of the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway. The Parks had two sons. The elder, Ian, served as an RAF NCO in the Second World War. Colin was commissioned in the Black Watch. He was wounded in the head in Burma and was a member of the War Crimes Investigation Branch in Germany.

On 7th October 1946, Captain Colin Park and an officer in the 11th Hussars were sentenced at court martial to be dismissed the service, having pleaded guilty to gross negligence leading to manslaughter. This followed an incident in which a 10-year-old German boy had accidentally been fatally injured when rounds were discharged from an armoured car.

Colin Park later served with the Perak Aboriginal Areas Constabulary in Malaya. On 3rd September 1951 he was one of three officers killed in an ambush by bandits.

Lady Park died in 1971. During her husband’s service in the RAF she had spent much time on welfare matters.

A post-war tribute to Sir Keith was the naming of a Southern Railway Battle of Britain express steam locomotive, Sir Keith Park. Sir Keith performed the naming ceremony at Brighton on 19th September 1947. In an extensively rebuilt form the locomotive has been preserved. In 2023 it was based at the Spa Valley Railway on the Kent-East Sussex border.

Sir Keith was portrayed in the 1969 film, Battle of Britain, by Trevor Howard. The original choice had been Rex Harrison but he withdrew through other commitments.

While filming was taking place at Hawkinge, Lord Dowding paid a visit. He told Trevor Howard, “If it hadn’t been for Keith Park’s conduct in the Battle and his loyalty to me as his Commander-in-Chief, we should not be here today.”

In 2009 a statue of Sir Keith was placed in Trafalgar Square, London on a temporary basis (below). This statue is now at “The Battle of Britain Bunker” visitor centre at Uxbridge.

In 2010, a statue of Sir Keith was placed permanently in Waterloo Place, London, SW1. It features the words, “Defender of London, 1940” (below).

In October the same year, a bronze portrait bust of Sir Keith, placed next to the names of all the then-recognised Battle of Britain Clasp holders, was unveiled by the Duchess of Cornwall (now HM The Queen) at the National Memorial to The Few at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent.

A biography by Vincent Orange was published by Methuen in 1984. The author wrote in his conclusion that “Despite his natural reserve, Park had a compelling personality and great charm (when he cared to exert it) and men responded to his obvious concern to see a job sensibly done. He was a practical, active man, shrewd and forthright, not given to brooding on the past.”

In a speech in February 1947, Lord Tedder said, “If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain he [Park] 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.”

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*Addison, Paul and Crang, Jeremy A (editors), The Burning Blue, Pimlico, 2000.
*Wright, Robert, The Man who Won the Battle of Britain, Charles Scribner’s, 1969.