LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Keith Anthony Vaughton MOORE
Service No: 411167
Born: Waverley NSW, 20 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 455 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 455 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft NT920), off Hareid Island, 5 April 1945, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Claude Vaughton Moore and Rose Moore, of Coogee, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 282, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The RAAF Beaufighters began April with an abortive attack against Egersund on the 3rd but next day they scored two wet and two dry hits on a merchantman at Aardals Fiord. Sykes (1) was badly injured during this sortie and two Beaufighters were lost on 5th April near Hareid Island when the Dallachy Wing was attacked by fighters.
(1) Flight Lieutenant Stephen Joseph Sykes DSO DFC (422751) of No. 455 Squadron was discharged from the RAAF on 25 February 1946 and killed in an aircraft accident on 19 January 1957.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 383
Beaufighter NE207 took off from RAF Dallachy, Moray, at 1345 hours on 5th April 1945 to carry out an anti shipping reconnaissance of Svinoy-Aalesund – Yttergene and Cutvaer- Bremanger. In addition to the No. 455 Squadron aircraft 10 Rock Beaufighters (No. 144 Squadron (RAF)) 7 Anti Flak and 2 outriders (No. 489 Squadron (RNZAF)), 12 Mustangs (No. 65 Squadron (RAF)) and 2 ASR Warwicks took part. Eight aircraft from the Squadron took part in the operation and two of these including NE 207 failed to return. During the patrol 6 ME 109s were sighted at 1625 hours flying a parallel course and same height 500/250 feet. Combat ensued. Two enemy aircraft attacked. Aircraft NT 920 which was seen to pull up to starboard and climb collided with NE 207. The wing of one aircraft broke off and falling knocked off another Beaufighter last seen with port engine smoking. Both aircraft NT 920 and NE 207 failed to return.
The crew members of NT920 were:
Flight Sergeant Ronald Eric Bull (432108) (Navigator Wireless Operator)
Flight Lieutenant Keith Anthony Vaughton Moore (411167) (Pilot)
The crew members of NE207 were:
Flying Officer Geoffrey William Hassell (437417) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Edward James Loonam (428725) (Navigator Wireless Operator)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/28/576
Bibliography:
Gordon, I. (Ian) Strike and Strike Again: 455 Squadron 1944-5, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2616, 1995
Lawson, John Horwood Wightman (251634) The Story of No. 455 Squadron (RAAF), Wilke and Company, Melbourne VIC, 1951