George Noel Keith

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CANADIAN AIRMEN TAKE PART
IN RAIDS THROUGHOUT EUROPE
Blast Genoa, Patrol Bay of Biscay and Fight Over France
BUSY AT WEEK-END

London, Nov. 9 (1942) -(CP Cable)- Canadian airmen, flying with both R.A.F. and R.C.A.F, squadrons, participated during a busy week-end in the heavy Genoa raids, extensive fighter operations over northern France and lively patrol of the, Bay of Biscay, where axis submarines prowl on allied shipping.

Engine Busters
R.C.A.F. squadrons formed no part of the bomber forces sent to Genoa Friday and Saturday nights but, there were a number of Canadians in the big R.A.F. bombers which carried out the two successful raids.
Spitfire pilots of an R.C.A.F. fighter wing, including the "engine busters" squadron commanded by S/L John Fee, of Calgary, were engaged in a number of low-level sorties Saturday against enemy communications between Calais and Cherbourg. They destroyed or damaged 14 locomotives. The fighters were out again Sunday, escorting American Flying Fortresses in a successful raid on the steel and engineering works at Lille and in a diversionary raid on the Abbeville aerodrome. Four of the fighters were lost.
Late on Saturday Mustangs of the Canadian Army Co-operation Squadron raided a factory and freight train at Caen.
Three Hudson bombers of the Coastal Command Demon Squadron engaged three German Arado floatplanes during a patrol Saturday, destroying two and severely damaged the other.
The Saturday-night attack on Genoa seemed to "saturate" the city's defences, F/S Bob Farquharson, of Charlottetown, reported. Farquharson, a bomb aimer, said the bomber he was on "had time to make a circuit after dropping our bombs. I saw them burst near some fires. It was the first time I’d ever seen our own bombs explode."

Brantford Flyer
Sgt. Olaf Forland, of Brantford, told of "fires galore of every colour and description all over the target area." He said they lit up the entire city and the rear gunner added that flames could be seen at least 100 miles away before his Halifax ran into snowstorms and 30-below-zero weather on the return flight. P/O Kenneth Mackenzie, of Toronto, described Friday's raid — his third flight to Genoa — as "effective," while Sgt. K. N. Read, of Saskatoon, declared it was a "wizard show." Read, a wireless operator, said his aircraft encountered "a little excitement" over Genoa when one engine cut out, but the bomber went on without mishap.
Other Canadians in the Friday night raid were F/S C. C. McAlpine, of Moose Jaw, Sask., and George Graham, of Aurora, Ont.
The "engine busters" shot up seven locomotives by themselves Saturday to bring their score for a three-week period to 24. Members of other squadrons completed the day's bag.
P/O L. Powell, of Edmonton, shared in three attacks, bringing his personal score to 12 destroyed or damaged. P/O George Keith, of Taber, Alta., shared in attacks on four engines and P/O Rick Ellis, of Montreal West, who helped shoot up three, flew so low over one as it exploded the steam covered his Spitfire's windshield and temporarily blinded him,
Ellis and W/O D. McCrimmon, of Sylvan Lake, Alta., made separate attacks on two locomotives, both of which blew up. They teamed up for an attack on a third.
Workers in fields waved at F/Ls Frank Grant of Brockville, Ont., and Ed Wood of Renfrew, Ont., when they swept low to attack another locomotive. F/L John Godfrey, of Toronto, attacked still another, scoring direct hits.
P/O L. H. Jenner, of Windsor, Ont., led a Demon, formation which fought a sharp and successful operation with the Arados. Jenner's rear gunner, Sgt. T. M. O'Neill, of Ottawa, shot down one. F/S J. D. Ferguson, of Halifax, piloted the Hudson which got the second Arado and later he attacked an enemy ship.
After taking care of the first float plane, Jenner turned to the assistance of F/S R. C. Dalagleish, of Comber, Ont., and together they forced the third German off homeward, limping and barely skimming the wave tops.

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Canadian Flyers to Fore In North African Victory

(By F/L L. C. Powell)
Algiers, May 11, 1943 — (CP) — Many Canadians serving with R.A.F. squadrons "stooged" overhead as victorious elements of the ground forces entered Tunis and Bizerte, the two main objectives in the North African campaign. The greatest air assault any army has ever had to withstand blasted the way for the big Allied push. Day after day, fighters and bombers, struck again and again at enemy positions and troop concentrations, at the same time clearing the sky of all aerial opposition.
R.C.A.F. pilots reported hits on long columns of enemy transport and troops along the densely-packed road leading to Tunis. Among the fighter pilots who have played a brilliant part throughout the campaign are S/L Jimmy Walker, D.F.C. and Bar, Edmonton; S/L George Hill, Pictou, N.S; and Flight-Lt. Fred (Butch) Aikman, Toronto, a youthful veteran of the air war.

Others Seeing Action
Other Canadian fighter pilots who have been in action on this front include F/O George Keith, Taber, Alta.; F/O Bill Draper, Toronto; P/O Harry (Junior) Fenwick, D.F.C., of Sioux Lookout, Ont., and F/S Albert (Tommy) Thomas, Winnipeg.
How many aircraft have fallen to Canadians it is impossible to say at present, but Walker and Hill have shot down 19 between them in this theatre of war. The boys who are on "jobs" these days are always anxious to get back to base and catch up with the general news on what is going on.
Enemy air opposition, waning as the intensity of the final offensive mounted, dropped to new low in recent days. A Canadian pilot with a Boston squadron reported seeing five fighters below him. They showed no desire to join action however, and flew off at low levels.
British soldiers paid high tribute to the work of the air force in the campaign and one young Canadian pilot, referring to the enemy and paraphrasing Prime Minister Winston Churchill, said, "Never was so much pounding taken by so few in so short a time."
Pilots returning from trips over former Axis "hot spots" report encountering no flak at all. After flying over one of these enemy positions a week ago one Winnipegger said jokingly, "Flak was so thick I had to fly on instruments."

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CANADIAN KIDS DEAL OUT DEATH
Flyers From Malta Keep Up Stern Warfare Against Axis

Valetta, Malta, July 14, 1943 —(CP Cable)— Led by a sharpshooting team, the Canadian Kids of the Malta flying garrison blasted more enemy planes from the sky Tuesday over Sicily as the R.A.F. maintained its relentless drive against Axis attempts to hamper the Allied invasion,
From dawn to dusk Allied fighters destroyed 22 enemy planes against a loss of only two Spitfires. F/L Leslie Gosling, D.F.C., North Battleford, Sask., and Sqdn.-Ldr. George Hill, Pictou, N.S., continued their meteoric climb with a double kill each during the last 24 hours. Gosling brought his total up to 11 enemy aircraft downed.
Among the other Canadians prominent in Tuesday's battles were F/O George Keith, Taber, Alta., and F/O Reginald Morris, Windsor, Ont., both of whom made double claims.
Hill, who only Monday returned to the squadron after being forced down behind British lines at Sicily, destroyed a Focke-Wulf 190 for a total of 13 since joining the R.C.A.F. Gosling shot down an ME109 after a duel with the enemy pilot. It was his fifth enemy plane in a week and doubled his previous total.

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Canadian Airmen Maintain Record For Double Kills

Valetta, Malta, July 15, 1943 - (CP Cable) - Canadians engaged in the unceasing air war over Sicily from bases here maintained their record for double kills yesterday, although the air fighting tapered off from the blistering pace set earlier in the week.
F/O George Keith, of Taber, Alta., destroyed a Messerschmitt 109 and shared in the destruction of a second with an English squadron mate. F/O Bennet Clarke, of Edmonton, was credited with a probable after a fight with an Italian machine.
Sgt. William Hockey, of Kentville, N.S.; F/O John Stock, of Ottawa, and P/O W. J. Anderson, of Woodlawn, Ont., were all credited with damaging one each.
Starting the Canadians off in their quest for double kills in this area this week were Squadron-Ldr. George Hill, D.F.C. and Bar, of Pictou, NS. and F/L Leslie Gosling, D.F.C., of North Battleford, Sask., who brought down a quartet of German planes Tuesday. Hill, one of the top fighters in the R.C.A.F., brought his total of planes downed to 13, while Gosling jumped his score to 11.
F/O Keith was also a double scorer earlier in the week, bringing down a couple Tuesday. Yesterday's count gave him a total of 3½ planes for a 48-hour period.

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KEITH, F/O George Noel (J15374) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.72 Squadron
Award effective 20 August 1943 as per London Gazette dated 10 September 1943 and
AFRO 2198/43 dated 29 October 1943.

Flying Officer Keith is a fine section leader whose skill and determination have been outstanding. He has destroyed seven aircraft in recent operations.

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Air Force Casualties

Ottawa, Aug. 17, 1943  - (CP) - The R.C.A.F. in it’s 656th casualty list of the war, containing 52 names reported tonight that six men were killed on active service overseas, one had died of injuries suffered on active service, and one previously missing now was reported killed on active service .
Following is the latest list of casualties, with next-of-kin :
  . . .
KEITH, George Noel, F/O. died of injuries received on active service overseas. Mrs. Harry Bland (mother), Taber, Alta
  . . .

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Victories Include :

8.5 / 2 / 2

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KEITH. GEORGE NOEL F/O (P) J15374 D.F.C. From Taber, Alberta. Killed In Action Aug. 4, 1943 age 22. #72 Squadron (Swift). BROTHER to Asa Howard Keith. Spitfire aircraft # JK 737 was shot down over the sea three miles east of Catania. F/O. Keith bailed out at 2,000 feet but his parachute did not open until 300 feet. He was picked up by air-sea rescue but died of his injuries shortly after. F/O. Keith was an ace, he was credited with destroying eight and one half enemy aircraft. Flying Officer Pilot Keith is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery, Agira, Enna, Italy.

From, “They Shall Not Grow Old” by Les Allison & Harry Hayward

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