Vernon Keogh
Encyclopedia
Vernon Charles "Shorty" Keogh (c. 1912–1941) was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.
towards the end of the Battle of France
, but as France fell he came to England with his friends and fellow Americans Andrew Mamedoff
and Eugene Tobin
and joined the Royal Air Force
in 1940.
Keogh was the smallest pilot in the whole of the Royal Air Force, hence the nickname, and was just 4'10" (approx 1.47m) tall. He had to use two cushions in his Spitfire
to see out of the cockpit. On 8 August 1940 Keogh was posted to No. 609 Squadron RAF
at Middle Wallop airfield
. He flew many missions during the height of the Battle of Britain
in August and September. He was credited with one shared 'kill': a Do17
on 15 September. He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey
in Lincolnshire
on 18 September 1940 and was a founder member of No. 71 'Eagle' Squadron
along with Art Donahue
, Andrew Mamedoff and Eugene Tobin.
On 15 February 1941, Keogh was on a convoy-protection mission off Flamborough Head
, East Yorkshire
. During the chase of a Heinkel He 111
, he was last seen spinning off into the sea. He may have been a victim of disorientation in cloud or oxygen failure. He was 29 years old. His body was not recovered, but he is remembered on the Air Forces Memorial
at Runnymede.
Biography
Born in Brooklyn, New York around 1912, Keogh had earned a civil pilots licence in America and was also a professional parachute jumper with over 500 jumps, performing at air shows across America.Second World War
He joined the French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
towards the end of the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, but as France fell he came to England with his friends and fellow Americans Andrew Mamedoff
Andrew Mamedoff
Andrew B "Andy" Mamedoff was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Biography:Born in Thompson, Connecticut, where his White Russian family had settled in the early 1910s. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1931...
and Eugene Tobin
Eugene Tobin
Eugene Quimby "Red" Tobin was an American pilot who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain.-Early life:Born in Los Angeles, California, the son of I. Quimby Tobin and Mary Alicia Tobin. Tobin initially came to Europe to fight Finland against Russia, but too late for that war...
and joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1940.
Keogh was the smallest pilot in the whole of the Royal Air Force, hence the nickname, and was just 4'10" (approx 1.47m) tall. He had to use two cushions in his Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
to see out of the cockpit. On 8 August 1940 Keogh was posted to No. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 609 Squadron RAF
No. 609 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, originally formed as a bomber squadron and in World War II active as fighter squadron, nowadays provides personnel to augment and support the operations of the Royal Air Force. The squadron is no longer a flying Squadron, but instead has the role...
at Middle Wallop airfield
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop
Army Air Corps Middle Wallop is a British Army base near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop. The base hosts 2 Regiment Army Air Corps and the School of Army Aviation. The role of 2 Regiment is training and so AAC Middle Wallop is the base where most Army Air Corps pilots begin their careers...
. He flew many missions during the height of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
in August and September. He was credited with one shared 'kill': a Do17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
on 15 September. He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey
RAF Kirton in Lindsey
RAF Kirton in Lindsey is a Royal Air Force airfield in Lincolnshire. The field is located 15 miles north of Lincoln.It hosts No.1 Air Control Centre , the RAF’s only deployable ground-based early warning and air control radar unit, parented by RAF Scampton.-First World War:The Royal Flying Corps...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
on 18 September 1940 and was a founder member of No. 71 'Eagle' Squadron
No. 71 Squadron RAF
No. 71 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, the number has been used three times, once by the Royal Flying Corps for an Australian Flying Corps squadron, in the second world war as an Eagle Squadron and post-war as a fighter-bomber unit based in Royal Air Force Germany.-First World...
along with Art Donahue
Art Donahue
Arthur Gerald "Art" Donahue was a United States fighter pilot and ace who volunteered to fly for the British Royal Air Force in World War II. He was killed in action.-Early life:...
, Andrew Mamedoff and Eugene Tobin.
On 15 February 1941, Keogh was on a convoy-protection mission off Flamborough Head
Flamborough
Flamborough is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north east of Bridlington town centre on the prominent coastal feature of Flamborough Head. The most prominent man-made feature of the area is Flamborough lighthouse. The headland...
, East Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
. During the chase of a Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
, he was last seen spinning off into the sea. He may have been a victim of disorientation in cloud or oxygen failure. He was 29 years old. His body was not recovered, but he is remembered on the Air Forces Memorial
Air forces memorial
The Air Forces Memorial, or Runnymede Memorial, near Egham, Surrey, England is a memorial dedicated to some 20,456 men and women from the British Empire who were lost in operations from World War II. All of those recorded have no known grave anywhere in the world, and many were lost without trace...
at Runnymede.
See also
- List of Battle of Britain pilots
- Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain