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Flying Officer Keith Southward, WWII PHOTO ALBUM

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DescriptionFlying Officer Keith Southward was 28 when he was killed. Born in Runanga on the West Coast he had worked in the family store before enlisting as an Aircraft Hand in February 1941 and re-mustering as an Airman Pilot seven months later. That fateful trip was his 8th Op. Can anyone help with further information about Keith's early life in Runanga, his family, or the Runanga store????

The New Zealand Bomber Command Association
(Facebook) ·
Stories of selfless sacrifice are relatively common in Bomber Command history, reflecting as they do the commitment of crews to one another. One such example was highlighted when we recently received a message from Nick Vero, regarding his Grandad, E W (Bill) Vero, who served with 75 Squadron in WW2.
Nick writes that his grandfather's life was saved by the selfless action of Keith Southward (NZ411048), piloting their Lanc LM104, 'Jock's Box'. They were hit by both flack and incendiary bombs on the wings, attacking Dortmund October 1944. Southward was able to control the aircraft long enough to enable his crew to bale out successfully, but was unable to do so himself and he bravely died in the crash.
The others all survived, and spent the next eight months as POWs until the end of the war, thanks to Southward's sacrifice.
F/Off Keith Southward was 28 when he was killed. Born in Runanga on the West Coast he had worked in the family store before enlisting as an Aircraft Hand in February 1941 and re-mustering as an Airman Pilot seven months later. That fateful trip was his 8th Op.
LM104 was a rebuild from a heavily damaged unit, it could not attain height on the prior test flight. Crew and Keith reported it was not fit for purpose, and it should not go on the Dortmund mission. This was deemed to be lack of moral fibre, request refused.
They struggled to maintain height and formation... And the rest is history.
The Vero family visited Keith's grave at Rheinberg War Cemetery in Germany in October 2019, the 75th Anniversary of the crash..
"Greatest respect from us to Keith and his fellow countrymen", says Nick.
F/O Keith Southward, RNZAF NZ411048 – Pilot. Killed age 28.
F/O Arthur Francis Thompson, RNZAF NZ4212803 – Navigator. P.o.W
F/L Baden Gordon Clare, RNZAF NZ429590 – Air Bomber. PoW
Sgt. E.W. Vero, RAFVR – Wireless Operator. P.o.W
Sgt. D.J. Roberts, RAFVR – Flight Engineer. P.o.W
Sgt. L. Cooper, RAFVR – Mid Upper Gunner. P.o.W
Sgt. T. Burnett, RAFVR 1823259 – Rear Gunner. P.o.W
Map^[1]ContributorJudi Mears

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EventFlying Officer Keith Southward, WWII

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