LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Keith Jack KNODLER
Service No: 420211
Born: Brisbane QLD, 13 May 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 30 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 30 Squadron Thunderbolt aircraft HB995), India, 14 August 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Reginald John and Rosalind Grace Knodler, of Cammeray, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 14 August 1944 Warrant Officer Knodler was authorised to carry out an individual height climb to 37,000 feet, in Thunderbolt HB995. The aircraft took off at 1630 hours and nothing more was heard from the aircraft until a crash at Bidake near Yelahanka was reported at about 1715 hours.
The Pilot was instructed to do a straight climb to 30,000 feet, cool the engine if necessary, and then continue to 37,000 feet. He was to stay there for five minutes, and then come down again. At about 1700 hours the aircraft was seen by various Indians at Bidake at a great height. There was suddenly a big ‘noise’, and the aircraft was seen to fall to the ground, shedding pieces of the fuselage as it did so. It was later established that the port wing, both elevators, the tail plane and the fin came off the plane in mid-air.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/23/74