Sir Keith Rodney Park
by Bassano Ltd
bromide print, March 1938
NPG x84427
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park
Keith
Rodney
b: 15 Jun 1892
r: 20 Dec 1946
d: 5 Feb 1975
GCB - 23 May 1946 (KCB - 1 Jan 1945, CB -
17 Dec 1940),
KBE - 27 Nov 1942,
MC - 26 Sep 1917, Bar - 27 Oct 1917, DFC - 3 Jun 1919,
CdeG(F)
- 18 Apr 1918, LoM (Cdr) - 27 Jun 1947, MA
(Oxford), Hon DCL - 1947
(Army): - (T) 2 Lt: 1 Sep 1915, 2 Lt: 23 May 1916 [4 May 1916], (T) Capt: 11 Sep 1917, Lt: 4 Nov 1917.
(RAF):
- (T) Capt [Lt]:
1 Apr 1918,
(T)
Maj: 9 Apr 1918,
Sir Keith Rodney Park
by Bassano Ltd
bromide print, March 1938
NPG x84427
xx xxx 1911: Gunner, New Zealand Field Artillery (Territorial Force)
xx
xxx 1914: Gunner, New Zealand Field Artillery.
1 Sep
1915: Officer, New Zealand Field Artillery.
xx
xxx 1916: Instructor, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
xx
Dec 1916: U/T Pilot,
No 8 Reserve Sqn.
23 May 1917: Flying Officer, RFC.
xx
xxx xxxx: Pilot/Instructor, No 38 (Reserve) Sqn RFC.
7
Jul 1917:
Pilot, No 48 Sqn RFC
11
Sep 1917: Flight Commander, No 48 Sqn RFC
10
Apr 1918: Officer Commanding, No 48 Sqn.
23 July 1919: Flight Commander, No 25 Sqn.
1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Captain (Aeroplane)
11
Aug 1920:
Squadron Commander, School of Technical Training (Men)
3
Apr 1922: Attended RAF Staff College
4
Apr 1923:
5 May 1923: Staff, Aircraft Depot, Egypt.
5
Sep 1923:
Technical Staff - Engines, HQ RAF Middle East.
xx
xxx xxxx:
Air Staff Operations, HQ RAF Middle East.
15
Aug 1926: Air Staff, HQ ADGB.
18 Nov 1927: Officer Commanding, No 111 Sqn.
9 Jan - xx Feb 1928: Officer Commanding, RAF Duxford (Temporary)
1 Apr 1928: Officer Commanding, No 111 Sqn/RAF Hornchurch
16
Mar 1929: Air Staff, HQ Fighting Area.
12
Jan 1931:
Supernumerary, RAF Northolt
14
Jan 1931:
Officer Commanding, RAF Northolt
9 Aug 1932: CFI, Oxford University Air Sqn.
10 Jun 1933: Granted Instructor's Category A2
3
Nov 1934: Air Attaché, Buenos Aires
1 Jan 1937: Appointed Air ADC to the King.
12
Jan 1937: Attended Imperial Defence College
28
Dec 1937:
Supernumerary, RAF Tangmere.
3
Jan 1938:
Officer Commanding, RAF Tangmere.
11
Jun 1938:
Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ Fighter Command
20 Apr 1940: Supernumerary, No 11 (Fighter) Group.
22 Apr 1940: AOC, No 11 (Fighter) Group.
18 Dec 1940: Supernumerary, No 23 (Training) Group.
27 Dec 1940: AOC, No 23 (Training) Group.
xx
Jan 1942: AOC, AHQ Egypt
15
Jul 1942: AOC, AHQ Malta
6 Jan 1944: Supernumerary, HQ Middle East Command
14
Jan 1944: AOC in C, Middle East Command
25
Feb 1945: Allied Air C in C, Air Command South East Asia
The son of Professor J Park, he was born in New Zealand, where he studied mining at the King's College, University of Otago and later worked as a clerk with the Union Steamship Company in Dunedin and went to sea as a Purser. He was awarded a field commission for distinguished service at Gallipoli. Seriously wounded on the Somme, he was invalided out of the Artillery but two months later joined the RFC. On 24 August 1918 a German raid on their airfield at Bertangles resulted in a large amount of damage including 8 dead and 28 wounded as well as the loss of most of 48's aircraft. Having already been awarded an MC for his service in the air, he was awarded a Bar for actions both during and after this raid. By the end of WW1, in addition to MC and bar, he had also been awarded the newly instituted DFC as well as being credited with the destruction of 20 enemy aircraft. He married Dorothy Margarita Parish at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate on 25 November 1918.
Appointed SASO at HQ Fighter Command, where he was directly
involved, under Dowding, in the setting up of the Control and Reporting system
which would become so vital in the summer of 1940. Both during and after the Battle of Britain both he and
Dowding came under a great deal of criticism for the way that they had organised
their forces. Parks main critic
being his opposite number at No 12 Group, Leigh-Mallory, who felt that Park
should concentrate his units in force rather than 'penny pockets'.
This led to the 'Big Wing' controversy which Park countered with the
argument that he did not have time to form 'Big Wings' before the enemy aircraft
could reach their targets. Park's tactics attempted to destroy and separate the German
bombers before they could reach their targets, thereby minimising the damage to
property and civilian casualties. Leigh-Mallory's
tactics may well have resulted in more German bombers destroyed but by then they
would have been relieved of the loads, increasing damage and casualties as well
as being faster. In the end the success of Fighter Command in the Battle of
Britain was largely due to the use of both methods which split up the enemy
formations on their inbound journey and being harried on the outbound journey.
Probably the biggest fault in the system was the lack of co-ordination of
at times between No's 11 and 12 Groups, for which both AOC's should share blame.
With
German and Italian attacks on Malta gaining momentum it was decided that someone
with air defence experience was now needed and so he was appointed AOC in place
of AVM H P Lloyd. In this post he
was able to establish the defences on a similar basis to those he had used in No
11 Group, two years earlier. Having
successfully beaten off the attacks against the island, he was then able to
instigate offensive operations from his island base.
In November 1944, his rival from the Battle of Britain, Leigh-Mallory,
was tragically killed whilst en-route to the Far East to take up the post of Air
C in C, Air Command South East Asia. Ironically,
the person chosen to replace him was Keith Park.
"2nd Lt. Keith Rodney Park, M.C., R.F.A. and R.F.C.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in accounting for nine enemy aircraft, three of which were completely destroyed and six driven down out of control."
(London
Gazette - 18 Mar 1918)
This page was last updated on 17/10/22
A D
Panton
