Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...
Sir Keith Rodney Park, (15 June 1892 – 6 February 1975) was a New Zealand-born officer of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF). During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, his leadership of the RAF's
No. 11 Group was pivotal to the defeat of the ''
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
'' in the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
.
Born in
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...
, Park was a
mariner
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor' ...
when he enlisted in the
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...
for service in the First World War. Posted to the artillery, he fought in the
Gallipoli campaign, during which he transferred to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. On the
Western Front, he was present for the
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
and was wounded. He obtained another transfer, this time to the
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
. Once his flight training was completed, he served as an instructor before being posted to
No. 48 Squadron on the Western Front. He became a
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
, achieving several aerial victories and eventually commanding the squadron.
In the interwar period, Park served with the RAF in a series of command and staff postings, including a period as
air attaché
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
in South America. By the late 1930s, he was serving in
Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
, as
Air Marshal Hugh Dowding
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is gene ...
's senior air staff officer. The two worked to devise tactics and management strategies for the air defence of the United Kingdom. Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, Park was given command of No. 11 Group, responsible for the defence of South East England and London. Owing to its strategic significance and geographic location in relation to the ''Luftwaffe'', No. 11 Group bore the brunt of the German aerial assault during the Battle of Britain. Park's management of his fighter aircraft and pilots helped ensure that Britain retained air superiority along the
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
.
Relieved of command after the Battle of Britain, Park served in a training role before being posted to the Middle East as
Air Officer Commanding, Egypt, in late 1941. Midway through the following year, he took charge of the aerial defences of Malta, then under
heavy attack from the ''Luftwaffe'' and the ''
Regia Aeronautica
The Royal Italian Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') (RAI) was the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Regio Esercito, Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was ...
'' (Italian Air Force). When the siege was lifted Park transitioned Malta's RAF forces from a defensive role into an offensive footing in preparation for the
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis p ...
. From 1944, he held senior roles in the Middle East and in British India. He retired from the RAF in 1946 as an air chief marshal. Returning to New Zealand, he worked in the aviation industry for a British aircraft manufacturer and then became involved in local body politics in
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
. He died from heart problems in February 1975.
Early life
Born in
Thames, New Zealand
Thames () is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel (district), New Zea ...
, on 15 June 1892, Keith Rodney Park was the third son and ninth child of Professor
James Livingstone Park from
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, a geologist and director of the Thames School of Mines, and his wife, New Zealand native Frances Rogers. Park was schooled at
King's College in Auckland until 1905. The following year he attended
Otago Boys' High School
Otago Boys' High School (OBHS) is a secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's oldest boys' secondary schools. Originally known as Dunedin High School, it was founded on 3 August 1863 and moved to its present site in 18 ...
in
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
, where his father had moved the family following his appointment as a lecturer in mining at the
University of Otago
The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...
. By this time Park's parents had separated, his mother moving to Australia and leaving the children in the care of their father.
At Otago Boys' High, Park joined the school's
Cadet Corps. Completing his education, he found employment at the
Union Steam Ship Company. He had always enjoyed boats and within the Park family was known as "Skipper". He went to sea as a
purser
A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...
aboard
collier and
passenger
A passenger is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The vehicles may be bicycles, ...
steamships, initially on vessels sailing along the coast but later on ships travelling to Australia and islands in the Pacific. He also served as a
Territorial
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
soldier in the New Zealand
Field Artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support army, armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the ear ...
from March 1911 to November 1913.
First World War
Soon after outbreak of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Park's employers gave him permission to leave the company and join the war effort. He enlisted in the
New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...
(NZEF) on 14 December 1914, and was posted to the Field Artillery. He was promoted to
corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
in early February 1915. Park departed New Zealand the same month as part of the third draft of reinforcements for the NZEF, destined for the Middle East. On arrival, he was posted to the 4th Howitzer Battery, under the command of
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
Norrie Falla
Norris Stephen Falla (3 May 1883–6 November 1945) was a New Zealand shipping company manager, military leader and aviation promoter. He was born in Westport, New Zealand, Westport, New Zealand, on 3 May 1883.
In 1935, he was awarded the K ...
.
In early April 1915, military planners in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
decided that the NZEF should be part of the Allied forces that would open up a new front in the Middle East by landing on the
Gallipoli Peninsula
The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east.
Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
. Park participated in the
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire, which ...
on 25 April, going ashore that evening or early the following morning with his battery. The 4th Howitzer Battery was the only such unit at
Anzac Cove but had limited ammunition and initially was unable to expend more than a few rounds a day. When not engaged in artillery fire, Park acted as a messenger. In the
trench warfare
Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from a ...
that followed, Park's achievements were recognised and in July he was
commissioned a
second lieutenant. He commanded an artillery battery during the
August offensive. Afterwards Park took the unusual decision to transfer from the NZEF to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, relinquishing his commission and joining the
Royal Horse and Field Artillery. He never explained his motivations for doing so.
Attached to the
29th Division as a temporary second lieutenant, Park was posted to No. 10 Battery, of the 147th Brigade, at Helles. He was commander of a
12-pounder naval gun, which was often subject to Turkish counter-fire. He and the rest of his battery was evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt in January 1916, after the decision was made to abandon the Allied positions there. The battle had left its mark on him both physically and mentally, though later on in life he would remember it with nostalgia. He particularly admired the
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...
commander, Sir
William Birdwood
Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood (13 September 1865 – 17 May 1951), was a British Army officer. He saw active service in the Second Boer War on the staff of Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl ...
, whose leadership style and attention to detail was a model for Park in his later career.
In March, Park's battery, along with the rest of the 29th Division, was shipped to the
Western Front and assigned to a sector along the
Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
* Somme, Queensland, Australia
* Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), ...
. Two months later, Park's rank was made substantive. By this time he had an interest in aviation; while in Egypt preparing for the move to France, he had requested a flight so that he could assess its suitability to help in observations but was told that aerial reconnaissance was a waste of time. Now, prior to the
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
, he learned how useful aircraft could be in a military role, getting a taste of flight by being taken aloft to check his battery's camouflage. He reported back on the ready manner in which the British guns could be detected. During the battle itself, which commenced on 1 July, the artillery was heavily engaged. On 21 October, while trying to withdraw an unserviceable gun for repair, Park was blown off his horse by a German shell. Wounded, he was evacuated to England and medically certified "unfit for active service", which technically meant he was unfit to ride a horse. After a brief remission recovering from his wounds, recuperating and doing training duties at
Woolwich Depot, he joined the
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
(RFC) in December. He had been trying for some time to obtain a transfer but the senior officers in the 29th Division would not allow this for its personnel serving in France; in later years Park saw his wounding as being particularly fortuitous for his future military career.
Royal Flying Corps
Park's RFC training commenced at
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
with a course at the
School of Military Aeronautics. Much of this initial training involved military basics, such as drill, and theoretical matters, like
Morse code
Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
. His flight instruction did not commence until he went to
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Avon (Hampshire), River Avon and A345 road, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is within Salisbury Plain.
The village is on ...
where, after flying an
Avro 504
The Avro 504 is a single-engine biplane bomber made by the Avro, Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during World War I totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind ...
K with an instructor, he soloed in a
Maurice Farman MF11 Shorthorn. The RFC still lacked sophistication in its flight training, and many pilots were sent to France with little more than basic flying skills. Park, having accumulated over 20 hours solo and 30 hours flying, had qualified for his
wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...
and was posted to
Rendcomb
Rendcomb is a village in the Cotswold local authority area of the English county of Gloucestershire. It is about five miles north of Cirencester in the Churn Valley.
History
Etymology
Rendcomb is thought to get its name from the stream runnin ...
for instructing duties in March 1917.
At Rendcomb, Park accumulated over 100 hours flying time before, in June, he was posted to France. The time he had spent in the air at this stage enhanced his survival prospects in aerial combat. On reporting to RFC headquarters in
Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
, he was advised that he was to be a bomber pilot and sent to a depot pool of pilots at
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer (; ; Picard: ''Saint-Onmé'') is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France.
It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Sa ...
. This was despite his specialisation in fighter aircraft. After some days without an assignment, he contacted
No. 48 Squadron, a fighter unit at La Bellevue; this resulted in Park's posting to that squadron on 7 July.
Service with No. 48 Squadron
Shortly after Park's arrival at No. 48 Squadron, the unit moved to Frontier Aerodrome just east of
Dunkirk
Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
. The squadron was equipped with the new
Bristol Fighter, a two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, and carried out patrols and reconnaissance flights. It also escorted bombers attacking German airfields in Belgium. Park had his first encounter with fighters of the
Imperial German Air Service
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Impe ...
on 24 July 1917, when he was engaged by three
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service () during World War I. A modified licensed version was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (''Luftfahrtruppen''). The D.III was flown ...
scout aircraft near
Middelkerke
Middelkerke () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, on the North Sea, west of Ostend. The municipality comprises the villages of Leffinge, Lombardsijde, Mannekensvere, Middelkerke proper, Schore, Sint-Pieters-K ...
. He and his observer, Second Lieutenant A. Merchant, operating a
Lewis gun, drove off the attackers, sending one out of control. When the Germans started using their heavy bombers to attack London and other targets in England during the summer, No. 48 Squadron was tasked with interception duties. Park never saw any bombers on these flights.
Park achieved his second aerial victory on 12 August when, flying with Second Lieutenant
Arthur Noss as his observer, he was attacked by a pair of Albatrosses while returning to base after a patrol. Sustained gun fire from Noss drove an Albatros out of control. On 16 August, again paired with Noss, the duo combined to send a
DFW C.V
The DFW C.IV, DFW C.V, DFW C.VI, and DFW F37 were a family of German reconnaissance aircraft first used in 1916 in World War I. They were conventionally configured biplanes with unequal-span unstaggered wings and seating for the pilot and observer ...
reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using Aerial photography, photography), signals ...
out of control. The following day Park and Noss engaged in a prolonged dogfight that began at over
Slijpe and ended near
Ghistelles at a height of . The pair destroyed one Albatros, seeing it crash into the sea, and sent three others out of control. In recognition of their successes, the commander of 4th Brigade,
Brigadier-General John Becke
Brigadier general John Harold Whitworth Becke, (17 September 1879 – 7 February 1949) was an infantry officer in the Second Boer War and squadron, wing and brigade commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. He transferred to the ...
, recommended Park and Noss for the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
(MC). This was duly awarded, the published citation for Park's MC reading:
On 21 August Park, flying with Second Lieutenant W. O'Toole while Noss was rested, drove two Albatros scouts out of control. Back with Noss on 25 August, the pair destroyed an Albatros south of Slijpe. On 2 September, with Alan Light, Park had two separate engagements with Albatrosses near
Diksmuide
(; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Leke, Nieuwkapelle, Oostkerke ...
; both aircraft that he and Light fired at were seen to be going down in an uncontrolled manner. On 5 September Park, flying with
Air Mechanic H. Lindfield, killed a pilot of ''
Jasta Boelcke'', Franz Pernet, the stepson of General
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (; 9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general and politician. He achieved fame during World War I (1914–1918) for his central role in the German victories at Battle of Liège, Liège and Battle ...
, off
Ostend
Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
. Flying near Slijpe on 9 September, he and Lindfield drove an Albatros out of control, and two days later Park was promoted to temporary
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. He destroyed an Albatros on 14 September, with Second Lieutenant H. Owen as his observer, and sent another Albatros out of control. Park was the squadron's most successful pilot over the August–September period and Becke recommended him for the
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
. The senior officer of the RFC in France,
Major-General Hugh Trenchard
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British military officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. He has been described as the "Fat ...
, downgraded this to a
Bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
** Chocolate bar
* Protein bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...
to his MC on the basis that this was sufficient reward. The published citation read:
Towards the end of September, No. 48 Squadron moved to the
Arras
Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
sector, having incurred several casualties in the previous weeks. There, Park, now a
flight leader, concentrated on preparing his command, which contained many inexperienced replacement pilots, for aerial combat. It was now involved in less dangerous work, mostly reconnaissance patrols, and casualties were light. In November, he was awarded a French honour, the ''
Croix de guerre
The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...
'', for services in support of the 1st French Army's operations during its time in the Flanders sector of Belgium. On 3 January 1918, Park and his observer, Lieutenant J. Robertson, were flying near
Ramicourt on a photo reconnaissance when they were engaged by several German Albatros fighters. Park was able to send one Albatros out of control although his observer's gun jammed. Park eventually evaded the pursuing fighters, although his engine was damaged by machine-gun fire and he force landed behind British lines. He was then sent to England for a rest; this proved to be brief for later in January he was posted to
Hooton Park to instruct Canadian trainee pilots.
Squadron command
Following the commencement of the
German spring offensive
The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...
in late March 1918, Park returned to France as a major to take command of No. 48 Squadron. By this time he was the only surviving pilot from its 1917 ranks. The first few days of his tenure were marked by relocations, as the squadron repeatedly retreated to new sites to stay ahead of the advancing Germans. It eventually settled in at
Bertangles, where it remained for some time. Park was well respected by his men, though he tended to avoid close relationships with those under his command.
The squadron carried out low-level attacks on German troops and positions, as well as its regular reconnaissance work. The Bristol Fighter was unsuited to the former role, having limited maneuverability at low altitude. At one point in the later stages of the German advance, the squadron was reduced to three operational aircraft, the rest having been damaged or destroyed by ground fire. On 18 May, he and his observer engaged a
Pfalz D.III, driving it out of control near
Bray
Bray may refer to:
Places France
* Bray, Eure, in the Eure ''département''
* Bray, Saône-et-Loire, in the Saône-et-Loire ''département''
* Bray-Dunes, in the Nord ''département''
* Bray-en-Val, in the Loiret ''département''
* Bray-et-Lû ...
. The following month, on 25 June, flying with Second Lieutenant H. Knowles, he destroyed a
Rumpler
Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer.
History
Founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p. ...
reconnaissance aircraft, and sent a DFW C.V out of control.
In August Park was wounded during a bombing raid on his squadron's airfield at Bertangles, but managed to help other injured men escape from burning hangars. By November, the strain of command had all but exhausted Park. On 9 November, in a fatigued state, he crashed a Bristol during a test flight. Two days later, the war ended. There is some confusion regarding the number of aerial victories Park achieved during the course of the war; official documentation of No. 48 Squadron states that he and his observers were credited with destroying 9 and sending 11 out of control, a total of 20 German aircraft. Records in the Air Ministry credit him with 14 aerial victories. Park's biographer
Vincent Orange
Vincent Bernard Orange, Sr. (born April 11, 1957) is a former American politician from Washington, D.C., and former president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. An attorney and a certified public accountant, Orange represented Ward 5 on the Cou ...
considered that Park definitely destroyed 11 aircraft and damaged, if not destroyed, 13 others.
Interwar period
Just after the war, on 25 November 1918, Park married Dorothy "Dol" Parish at Christ Church in
Lancaster Gate
Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens.
History
It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between t ...
. The two had met in October 1917 when Park stayed at the home of a fellow pilot while on leave in London. Parish, born in London, was a nurse during the war. Park had applied for a permanent commission in the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) earlier in the year, but heard nothing despite his application having the support of his wing commander. For the time being, he was posted to command of
No. 54 Training Depot at
Fairlop
Fairlop is a suburban area of Ilford, in the London Borough of Redbridge in East London. Historically in Essex, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Ilford until 1965, when the Borough, including Fairlop, became part of Greater London. It ...
, but was deemed fit only for light flying and ground duties. In February 1919 he applied again for a permanent commission in the RAF. The same month his father made an application on Park's behalf to the
Minister of Defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
in New Zealand for a possible role in the military aviation service that had been proposed for the country's defence. This proved to be fruitless as a firm decision regarding the service was not made. In the meantime Park also sought employment with a New Zealand firm, the Canterbury Aviation Company formed by
Henry Wigram
Sir Henry Francis Wigram (18 January 1857 – 6 May 1934) was a New Zealand businessman, politician and aviation promoter. He is best known for his role in developing a public transport system in Christchurch and as a key player in the establis ...
, a pioneer of commercial aviation in the country. Park was overlooked for the role.
Park went to
London Colney
London Colney () is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, close to Junction 22 of the M25 motorway.
It is around south-east of St Albans city centre (and within ...
to command the training depot there and also went on a course at the
No. 2 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping. In late April, together with a Captain Stewart, he flew a
Handley Page 0/400 twin-engined bomber on a circuit of the British Isles, completing the flight in 28 hours, 30 minutes. It was the second such flight of its type, designed to foster public awareness of the RAF. The following month, Park had a medical examination which raised concerns about his health owing to his war wounds, as well as nervous and cardiovascular issues. He was deemed to be unfit for further service, notwithstanding the record flight he had just made. Park took leave for rest and two months later sought a re-examination. This graded him fit for ground duties although he was still not able to fly. In the meantime, he was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross "in recognition of distinguished services rendered during the war".
Park was granted his permanent commission in September, with effect from 1 August 1919, with the rank of
flight lieutenant. He was appointed commander of a store of Handley Page aircraft at
Hawkinge
Hawkinge ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe (District), Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3 km) due east of the present village ...
. The role did not satisfy him and he was pleased when, in early 1920, he was posted to the newly reformed
No. 25 Squadron as a flight commander. At the time, it was the only fighter squadron based in the United Kingdom. Later that year he took command of the School of Technical Training, based at
Manston, and was subsequently promoted to
squadron leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Squadron leader is immediatel ...
. His health also improved. In April 1922 he was one of twenty officers selected to attend the newly formed
RAF Staff College
The RAF Staff College may refer to:
*RAF Staff College, Andover (active: 1922 to 1940 and 1948 to 1970)
*RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park (active: 1941 to 1948)
*RAF Staff College, Bracknell
The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air ...
at
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
. Fellow students on the 12-month course included
Sholto Douglas, with whom he had clashed the previous year over arrangements for flight demonstrations at an air show, and
Charles Portal
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Charles Frederick Algernon Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford, (21 May 1893 – 22 April 1971) was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He served as a bomber pilot in the First World War, and rose to become fi ...
, both of whom would go on to serve as
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).
Staff officer
In March 1923, Park's health was sufficiently restored that he was returned to flight status and two months later he was posted to Egypt on technical duties. Based at
Aboukir
Abu Qir (, ''Abu Qīr'', or , ), formerly also spelled Abukir or Aboukir, is a town on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, near the ruins of ancient Canopus and northeast of Alexandria by rail. It is located on Abu Qir Peninsula, with Abu Qir ...
, he was accompanied by his wife and the couple's young son. Later in the year, he transferred to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
as a technical staff officer at the headquarters of
RAF Middle East Command
Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that h ...
. In October 1924 he was switched to air staff duties. He became well respected by his commander,
Oliver Swann
Air Vice Marshal Sir Oliver Swann, (born Schwann; 18 November 1878 – 7 March 1948) was a British military commander who was a leading figure in the Royal Naval Air Service and senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of th ...
, who advocated for him in 1925 when concerns were raised regarding Park's health. In June 1926, Park and his family, which now included a second son, returned to England. A medical examination at this time graded him fit for duty.
At the behest of an acquaintance,
Air Commodore
Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...
Felton Holt
Air Vice Marshal Felton Vesey Holt, (23 February 1886 – 23 April 1931) was a squadron and wing commander in the Royal Flying Corps who became a brigadier general in the newly established Royal Air Force (RAF) just before the end of the First ...
, Park was posted to the
Air Defence of Great Britain
The Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) command comprising substantial army and RAF elements responsible for the air defence of the British Isles. It lasted from 1925, following recommendations that the RAF take contr ...
(ADGB) in August. He was to serve on the staff of the commander of the ADGB,
Air Marshal Sir
John Salmond
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond, (17 July 1881 – 16 April 1968) was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps and then the Royal Air Force. During the First World War he served as a sq ...
, with responsibility for "Operations, Intelligence Mobilization and Combined Training". The ADGB, based at
Uxbridge
Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...
, was a RAF command tasked with the air defence of the United Kingdom, and Park was given considerable latitude in developing his role. After 15 months with the ADGB, Park was given a squadron command; he proceeded to
Duxford
Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area.
History
The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of t ...
to lead
No. 111 Squadron, a fighter unit. It operated the
Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a sesquiplane single-seat fighter aircraft developed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. It was also the first all-metal fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force ...
and Park ensured that the squadron worked extensively, routinely recording high flying hours during his tenure in command. He was involved in an incident on 7 February 1928, when he crashed a Siskin while landing at night. In the ensuing investigation, he conceded his night vision was flawed and thereafter did not fly at night.
Park was promoted to
wing commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Wing commander is immediately se ...
on 1 January 1929 and posted back to Uxbridge on staff duties two months later. For two years running he helped in the organisation of the air pageants at Hendon, which drew over 100,000 spectators, and he was also involved in the development of systems for controlling the operations of fighter aircraft defending the United Kingdom from aerial attacks. His senior officer at this time was
Air Vice Marshal
Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...
Hugh Dowding
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is gene ...
. In January 1931, Park was given command of the RAF station at
Northolt
Northolt is a town in North West London, England, spread across both sides of the A40 trunk road. It is west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the seven major towns that make up the London Borough of Ealing and a smaller part in th ...
, his tenure lasting 18 months. He then became chief instructor at the
Oxford University Air Squadron
The Oxford University Air Squadron, abbreviated Oxford UAS, or OUAS, formed on 11th October 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Oxford and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. OUAS is one of fif ...
(OUAS). Park was responsible for 75 students, among them
Archibald Hope, who later commanded
No. 601 Squadron. Hope regarded Park as a good commander of the OUAS, as did a junior instructor, the future flying ace
Tom Gleave. Many of the students at OUAS, encouraged by Park, would go on to join the RAF. He was subsequently awarded an honorary
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
degree by
Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
in recognition of his services.
South America
In November 1934, Park was dispatched to
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
to serve as the Air Attaché for South America. A key part of his role was to facilitate local interest in British aircraft. He had been given notice of his appointment some months before, affording him time to learn Spanish. He was accompanied by his wife but their two children remained in England, attending boarding schools. Park's wife Dol had longstanding connections to Argentina, as members of her family had held diplomatic postings in the country. Soon after his arrival he was promoted to
group captain
Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence.
Group cap ...
. He travelled throughout the continent, visiting aircraft factories and air bases, and promoting British aircraft, military and civilian. The work was challenging as American aircraft manufacturers dominated the scene and he was not helped by the Air Ministry's commitment to expanding the RAF in preference to making aircraft sales to other countries. The skills he learnt in the role, ranging from mixing with military personnel of all ranks to rapid inspections of air bases, proved beneficial in the future.
Fighter Command
Park was appointed Air Aide-de-Camp to
King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
in early 1937. By this time, he had returned to the United Kingdom and was attending the
Imperial Defence College
The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...
, which was close to
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
. The course at the Imperial Defence College was designed to enhance the knowledge of its students, mostly senior officers from the British armed forces, in staff, diplomacy and political matters. Park became known for being a questioning student, and demanding of guest lecturers. At the end of the year, he took command of the RAF station at
Tangmere
Tangmere is a village, civil parish, and electoral ward in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Located three miles (5 km) north east of Chichester, it is twinned with Hermanville-sur-Mer in Lower Normandy, France.
The pari ...
, which was home to two fighter squadrons and a bomber unit. In April 1938, he took ill with
streptococcal pharyngitis
Streptococcal pharyngitis, also known as streptococcal sore throat (strep throat), is pharyngitis (an infection of the pharynx, the back of the throat) caused by '' Streptococcus pyogenes'', a gram-positive, group A streptococcus. Common sy ...
; this prevented him from taking up his next posting in
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, which instead went to
Arthur Harris
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet, (13 April 1892 – 5 April 1984), commonly known as "Bomber" Harris by the press and often within the RAF as "Butcher" or "Butch" Harris, was Air Officer Commanding, Air O ...
, future leader of
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...
. Park, after a period of rest, took the position that had been intended for Harris: Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) to Hugh Dowding, the commander of
Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
, which had been formed in July 1936, after the ADGB was split up.
Park took up his new appointment in May, and this coincided with a promotion to air commodore. He was now based at
Bentley Priory
Bentley Priory is an eighteenth to nineteenth century stately home and deer park in Stanmore on the northern edge of the Greater London area in the London Borough of Harrow.
It was originally a medieval priory or cell of Augustinian Canons in ...
, second-in-command to Dowding. The pair worked towards the development of an
operational defence system for the United Kingdom, the first of its type in the world. This involved improving the operational efficiency of Fighter Command and the integration of
radio direction finding
Direction finding (DF), radio direction finding (RDF), or radiogoniometry is the use of radio waves to determine the direction to a radio source. The source may be a cooperating radio transmitter or may be an inadvertent source, a natural ...
(RDF) techniques into the tactical handling of fighters to counter incoming bombers. A key improvement made by Park in the control of RAF fighters over the southeast of England was better vetting of data that made it to the plotting tables on which movement of both friendly and enemy aircraft were shown. Dowding had been resistant to Park's suggestion to filter out some data but became convinced of its merits when Park conducted unauthorised trials and showed the results to Dowding. The plotting tables, now less cluttered, made for more effective decision making.
With Dowding's blessing, Park also worked on an air tactics manual for Fighter Command. As part of this he recommended replacing the rifle-calibre machine guns on the
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
and
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
fighters with heavy machine guns, but was overruled. He was also against the use of the conventional "Vic" formation used by the RAF, in which three fighter aircraft flew in a V-formation, on the basis that these were not suited for monoplanes and wanted to explore alternatives. Despite his efforts the Air Ministry maintained its existing approach to fighter tactics.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Park supported Dowding in his efforts to retain as many fighter aircraft as possible for the air defence of the United Kingdom. This was despite the requests for fighter squadrons to support the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) dispatched to France shortly after the commencement of hostilities. During the
Phoney War
The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
, there was great urgency in developing and implementing tactics for the defence of British airspace, through coordination of data collected from RDF stations, the
Observer Corps, and the fighters themselves.
On 20 April 1940 Park took over from Air Vice Marshal
William Welsh as commander of
No. 11 Group, responsible for the fighter defence of London and southeast England. Promoted to acting air vice marshal the previous month, he had only just recovered from an emergency
appendectomy
An appendectomy (American English) or appendicectomy (British English) is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedur ...
. Park's appointment affronted Air Vice Marshal
Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, (11 July 1892 – 14 November 1944) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. Leigh-Mallory served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander during the First World War. Remaining in th ...
, the commander of neighbouring
No. 12 Group, which covered the Midlands. Park had greater experience with fighters, and most of Leigh-Mallory's career, aside from the three years that he had spent in charge of No. 12 Group, was in training roles. There were already tensions between Park and Leigh-Mallory; in exercises carried out in the summer of 1939, No. 12 Group had not performed as expected and Park, on behalf of Dowding, raised concerns in this respect.
Dunkirk
At the time Park took command of No. 11 Group, it was perceived that Leigh-Mallory's No. 12 Group would bear the brunt of the German bombing campaign since this area of the British Isles was the closest to Germany. The subsequent invasion of the Low Countries on 10 May changed the threat level for the southeast of England. By 24 May the majority of the BEF, along with French and Belgian troops, had been pushed back and became encircled at Dunkirk. During the subsequent
Dunkirk evacuation
The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the ...
, codenamed Operation Dynamo, No. 11 Group provided air cover under Park's direction. The RAF fighters were disadvantaged, having to operate over from their bases in the southeast of England and without the benefit of radar coverage. At best, they had about 40 minutes flying time over Dunkirk.
Park operated patrol lines over Dunkirk on 27 May, the first day of the evacuation, but the RAF fighters were heavily outnumbered. They were unable to prevent the bombing of Dunkirk itself, but were able to provide some limited protection of the
moles and ships. The following day, under orders from the CAS,
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...
Cyril Newall, fighters attempted to provide continuous coverage throughout the day but were unable to do so due to their relatively limited numbers. Park advocated for the usage of at least two squadrons at a time in stronger patrols rather than the continuous coverage. This was based on his own observations from flying his personal Hurricane over Dunkirk. His approach was put into effect the next day, sometimes using as many as four squadrons, with greater intervals between patrols. Although there was some pressure from Newall and Churchill for a stronger RAF presence over the beachhead, Dowding sheltered Park from this influence and left him to his work. In the later stages of Operation Dynamo, which ended on 4 June, weather and the pressure from the advancing Germans forced the evacuation efforts to be concentrated on the times around dawn and dusk, and Park's fighters were able to operate more effectively.
Throughout this period, Park not only flew his Hurricane to Dunkirk to see the situation for himself, but also visited RAF airfields and met personnel, both pilots and groundcrew. He was very recognisable, wearing white overalls when flying. This helped foster his reputation within No. 11 Group. He also maintained a desire to switch to the offensive; just two weeks after Dunkirk, he sought to have some Hurricane squadrons refitted as fighter-bombers and used, along with
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...
s, to make nighttime attack on the German airfields in France. Dowding did not approve.
Battle of Britain
At the commencement of the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
, Fighter Command had 58 squadrons spread across four fighter groups. As well as Park's No. 11 Group and Leigh-Mallory's No. 12 Group, these included
No. 10 Group, which covered the southwest of England, and
No. 13 Group, covering the north of England and Scotland. Being responsible for the south-eastern England area, including London, No. 11 Group faced the bulk of the ''
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
s air strength, at least 1,000 bombers and 400 fighters. To counter this, Park had at his disposal 350 fighters across 22 fighter squadrons and just over 550 pilots. He was also able to draw upon the neighbouring groups for reinforcements as required. Park directed that the fighter squadrons under his control be scrambled against incoming German bombers with the aim of attacking them before they reached their targets, and that engaging fighter escorts should be avoided.
Using the plotting tables at his headquarters at Uxbridge, Park had to assess which raids were a real threat and which were intended to draw away RAF fighters. Timing was important; incoming raids needed to be intercepted before reaching their targets. An understanding of what aircraft were available was also critical. He needed to ensure that there were as many as possible in the air to counter the German bombers and to avoid having too many on the ground being refuelled and rearmed. Even with the benefit of radar, Park was still disadvantaged. He usually had only around 20 minutes from when radar detected the buildup of the incoming bombers over the
Pas de Calais
The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait, historically known as the Dover Narrows, is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, and separating Great Britain from continental ...
or
Cotentin
The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...
regions to scramble his squadrons and have them at a suitable height for interception. To help remedy this disadvantage, he often directed his squadrons to take off in a direction away from the oncoming bombers so as to maximise the time they had to gain the necessary altitude to attack.
At the start of the Battle of Britain, generally deemed by British historians to be 10 July (German sources usually cite a date in August), the ''Luftwaffes initial focus was to gain air superiority over the English Channel, before moving to strike targets inland of the coastline. Its targets were shipping convoys moving through the Channel as well as the ports in the south of England. It was not until 1 August, when Adolf Hitler ordered the invasion of Britain, that the ''Luftwaffe'' escalated its aerial operations, with a view to the invasion commencing in late September. At this time the coastal radar stations were targeted, as well as airfields and aircraft manufacturing facilities. This placed further pressure on Park and how he dispersed his fighter squadrons. An added issue was the drain on pilots through combat losses and their replacements being inadequately trained. This was somewhat compensated for by transferring flying personnel from squadrons in the other Fighter Command Groups and volunteers from the
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
. He kept in regular contact with his squadrons, often flying his Hurricane to the airfields and addressing those under his command. These visits were important for morale, particularly for those airfields that had been bombed by the ''Luftwaffe''. According to his flying logbook, he made at least one operational sortie, on 10 July, to see a shipping convoy during a visit to
Lympne airfield
Lympne Airport was a military and later civil airfield , at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. The airfield was built out of necessity in the First World War. During the First World War RFC Lympne was originally a ...
.
[
On 16 August, following a visit to Park's headquarters at Uxbridge, Winston Churchill made a speech in which he recited one of his most famous lines, referring to RAF fighter pilots: "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few". Churchill, who thought well of Park, made another visit to Uxbridge the following month, on 15 September. His visit coincided with the ''Luftwaffes greatest daytime raid on England. Churchill noted the many incoming German aircraft but was reassured with Park's calm reply that RAF forces would meet them. He put up all his aircraft, leaving no reserve, and they were joined by 60 fighters from No. 12 Group. It was the first time that the RAF and the ''Luftwaffe'' met in nearly equal numbers. The German attack was a significant failure and an even larger raid mounted later in the afternoon was also unsuccessful. The date of 15 September subsequently became known as ]Battle of Britain Day
Battle of Britain Day, 15 September 1940, is the day on which a large-scale aerial battle in the Battle of Britain took place.Mason 1969, p. 386.Price 1990, p. 128.
In June 1940, the ''Wehrmacht'' had conquered most of Western Europe and Scand ...
. On the grounds that the ''Luftwaffe'' had not yet achieved dominance in the air, Hitler consequently postponed the scheduled invasion of England but this would not become clear to the British for several more weeks.
Earlier in September, the ''Luftwaffe'' had switched from attacking the RAF airfields to London itself. The Germans believed that Fighter Command was largely exhausted but the change in tactics was welcomed as both Park and Dowding recognised that it would be a relief for their pilots. At one stage the previous month, pilots and fighters were being lost at a greater rate than they could be replaced and Park had to close Biggin Hill, which had been rendered nonoperational due to bomb damage. The ''Luftwaffes shift to targeting London gave Park valuable breathing space to rebuild his damaged airfields. He also changed his own tactics, using his squadrons to intercept the German bombers and fighters making their way back to France after bombing London. Park later remarked to Alan Mitchell, a New Zealand journalist: "The Hun lost the Battle of Britain when he switched from bombing my fighter-stations to bombing London...". Despite the change in tactics, No. 11 Group was still under pressure. It operated standing patrols to be ready to intercept incoming raids, which were now coming in at higher altitudes. It was therefore more difficult to make out whether such raids were bombers or just a large fighter sweep; Park sought to avoid engagement with the latter. He endeavoured to keep his pilots fresh and rested, arranging for improved facilities and billets away from areas being bombed.
Big Wings controversy
As the Battle of Britain progressed, Park had increasing concerns about Leigh-Mallory's handling of No. 12 Group. Often, Park's airfields were left exposed to attack while his squadrons were in the air so he and his controllers made requests to No. 12 Group for cover. In No. 12 Group, Leigh-Mallory encouraged the use of "Big Wings"; this involved assembling three or more squadrons in a formation before they were directed towards approaching German bombers. This took time and often by the time the Big Wing was assembled, the bombers had already attacked their targets and were on their way back to their bases in France. Leigh-Mallory believed that this was justified as the assembled Big Wing would theoretically inflict significant losses on the departing bombers.
On several occasions in August, protection was requested from No. 12 Group for Park's airfields at North Weald
North Weald Bassett, or simply North Weald ( ), is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. The village is within the North Weald Ridges and Valleys landscape area.
A market is held every Saturday and Bank Ho ...
, Manston and Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London in the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a large ancient par ...
, but they were still bombed due to the time taken to assemble the Big Wing. This led Park to claim to his sector controllers that Leigh-Mallory was negligent in his responsibilities. Park eventually resorted to directing his requests for cover by No. 12 Group through Fighter Command Headquarters for greater responsiveness.
Park was not opposed to the use of squadrons ''en masse'' and had used comparable tactics while defending the evacuation of the beaches at Dunkirk a few months previously. He recognised that the short time between the detection of the approaching German bombers and them reaching their targets in southeast England meant that Big Wings were not practical. Park preferred greater control over individual squadrons. This allowed him to be more responsive to changes in tactics by the ''Luftwaffe'' which might, for example, send one group of bombers to a certain target as a diversion to draw in RAF fighters while another group of bombers attacked the actual target.
A report that Leigh-Mallory had sent to the Air Ministry, which inflated claims made by No. 12 Group when operating the Big Wing, had found a receptive audience at senior levels of the RAF. Park sent his own report on recent operations during the August–September period, which included critical comments on the Air Ministry's efforts in repairing damaged airfields. These complaints were poorly received. Underlying this was increasing tensions between Dowding and the Air Ministry over Fighter Command's ability to deal with the ''Luftwaffes night bombing campaign. Sholto Douglas, the deputy CAS, felt Dowding was not dealing adequately with the situation.
On 17 October Dowding and Park attended a meeting, chaired by Douglas, to discuss fighter tactics at the Air Ministry in London. Senior RAF personnel were present, including Leigh-Mallory but so was the relatively junior officer, Squadron Leader Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, (; 21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared ...
, a firm advocate for the Big Wing. Neither Park nor Dowding had expected this nor thought to invite an officer with a contrary frontline experience. Park, who to some attendees appeared fatigued, found himself having to justify his interception methods and explain why the Big Wing was not an appropriate tactic for his area of operations. Leigh-Mallory countered, stating his desire to help No. 11 Group and promising good response times for assembly of the Big Wing. In the absence of any protest from Dowding, Douglas approved the use of Big Wings over No. 11 Group's area of operations. The tactic was used by No. 12 Group for the rest of October but remained relatively ineffective, being too slow to get to where they were needed. Park continued to raise complaints about the use of Big Wings but Douglas saw this as being a personal objection to No. 12 Group operating in his sector.
Relief
By late October, it was clear that the ''Luftwaffes operations were lacking the intensity of previous months and, by the end of the month, the Battle of Britain was deemed to be over. Park's mind turned to the commencement of offensive operations and he made proposals to attack the German airfields in France, identifying that these were vulnerable to surprise attacks prior to sunset. Dowding overruled him, although Douglas was receptive to the proposal. On 7 December, Park was replaced as commander of No. 11 Group, his successor being Leigh-Mallory. The decision had been made late the previous month. Officially, this was because Park needed a rest from the stress of the past several months. Park believed his relief was due to the dispute with Leigh-Mallory.
Historian John Ray, in his account of Dowding's handling of the Battle of Britain, argues that Park was seen at the Air Ministry as being closely aligned with Dowding, implementing the latter's defensive scheme. Dowding, already overdue for his retirement, had been released from his post on 17 November and, once he went, Park had to follow to enable a fresh start at Fighter Command. Douglas took over Fighter Command and Leigh-Mallory No. 11 Group. According to Park, on his final day at No. 11 Group, he had to formally brief Leigh-Mallory's SASO, rather than Leigh-Mallory himself who, contrary to custom, was not present for the changeover in command.
On learning of Park's impending departure, Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul
Air Vice-Marshal Richard Ernest Saul, (16 April 1891 – 30 November 1965) was a pilot during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War.
Earlier years
Saul was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1891. He ...
, who led No. 13 Group, wrote to Park and noted "the magnificent achievements of your group in the past six months; they have borne the brunt of the war, and undoubtedly saved England". Arthur Tedder
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, (11 July 1890 – 3 June 1967) was a British Royal Air Force officer and peer. He was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and h ...
, a future CAS, later said of Park's command of No. 11 Group: "If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don't believe it is realised how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world". Park himself felt that Saul should have taken over No. 11 Group instead of Leigh-Mallory, on the basis that the former was much more familiar with the RAF stations in the area. The news of Park's dismissal was met with dismay among his command. Wing Commander Victor Beamish
Group Captain Francis Victor Beamish, (27 September 1903 – 28 March 1942) was an Irish-born Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. After flying during the Battle of Britain he continued to lead fighter operation ...
, in charge of North Weald station, wrote to Park, advising that the regret at his departure crossed all ranks. Group Captain Cecil Bouchier
Air Vice Marshal Sir Cecil Arthur Bouchier (14 October 1895 – 15 June 1979) served with the British Army, Royal Flying Corps, Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force from 1915 to 1953. He was Air Officer Commanding British Commonwealth Air Forc ...
, another senior officer within No. 11 Group, considered Park's leadership "...by his own infinite efforts...would not only ensure ultimate victory but inspire it". Subsequent appraisals of Park by German military intelligence were that he was a "man of action", and was known as the "Defender of London".
Shortly after his relief, on 17 December, it was publicly announced that Park had been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
. According to the citation in ''The London Gazette'', the honour was "in recognition of distinguished services rendered in recent operations". Despite this, Park was angry at his treatment by the Air Ministry and his opinion as to the reason for his relief was reinforced by comments from colleagues that unofficial reports had been made about Park's poor relationship with Leigh-Mallory. Late the following year he wrote to the new CAS, Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal, who had made the decision to replace Park with Leigh-Mallory, arguing his case. Portal promptly replied with assurances that his decision had nothing to do with Leigh-Mallory and was simply a matter of Park's health. Churchill was angered at the treatment of Park, and Dowding, by the Air Ministry's publication in March 1941 of a pamphlet on the Battle of Britain, in which neither officer was mentioned. A subsequent republication of the pamphlet, in an illustrated form, remedied this omission.
Training Command
Declining an assignment to the Air Ministry, Park was posted to Training Command, taking charge of No. 23 Group. His command, centred on RAF South Cerney
Royal Air Force South Cerney or more simply RAF South Cerney is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, Station located in South Cerney near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England. It was built during the 1930s to cond ...
, encompassed seven service flying training schools, the Central Flying School at Upavon, and the School of Air Navigation
A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of fo ...
at St Athan
St Athan () is a village and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The village and its parish church are dedicated to Saint Tathan. The church dates to the 13th–14th century, though an earlier church was dated t ...
. It was later expanded with the addition of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment and the Blind Approach Development Unit, both at RAF Boscombe Down. When he arrived at his command on 27 December, he immediately noted deficiencies in its procedures as it had not moved to a wartime footing. Some within No. 23 Group appeared unaware of the urgent need for trained pilots during the Battle of Britain.
Park moved immediately to remedy the situation. As he had at No. 11 Group, Park regularly flew himself to the stations under his command. Within a month of his arrival, he had visited each unit at least once, seeing for himself their state of readiness. He improved operational efficiencies, introduced new equipment, and modernised airfields. At times he found within Training Command a cultural resistance to change that he had to overcome.
By the end of 1941, overseas training establishments were coming on line and Park was looking to a potential return to frontline duties. In December, he was given a posting to Iraq as Air Officer Commanding (AOC). In a matter of days this changed, and he instead proceeded to Egypt to become AOC there. In his new role, he was responsible for the aerial defence of the Nile Delta region, duties that were similar to those he performed as commander of No. 11 Group, although he now had night fighters under his control. The ''Luftwaffe'', flying from bases in the Dodecanese, Greek islands, became more aggressive in its operations against targets in Egypt, threatening the buildup of Allied forces in the region. Park was able to improve the efficiency and coordination of Egypt's defences and deal better with incoming bombing raids.
Malta
On 8 July 1942, Park relinquished command in Egypt and six days later went to Malta to replace Hugh Pughe Lloyd, Hugh Lloyd, the RAF commander on the island, which was under siege by the Axis powers. It was felt that Park's experience of fighter defence operations was needed. Arriving by flying boat, he landed in the middle of a raid, although Lloyd had specifically requested he circle the harbour until it had passed. Lloyd met Park and admonished him for taking unnecessary risks in landing.
Park abandoned the defensive approach taken by Lloyd, in which the island's fighters took off, circled behind the approaching bombers of the Axis forces and engaged them over Malta. Park, having plenty of Spitfires on hand, sought to intercept and break up the German and Italian bomber formations before they reached Malta. One squadron would endeavour to engage the fighters providing high cover for the bombers, another would deal with the closer escorting fighters and the third would seek out the bombers directly.
Using these tactics, similar what had been employed by his No. 11 Group during the Battle of Britain, Park believed that it would be more likely that the enemy would be shot down or abort their objectives. His forces began implementing what Park called his ''Forward Interception Plan'' on 25 July. It was immediately successful and, within a week, daylight raids had ceased. The Axis response was to send in fighter sweeps at even higher altitudes to gain the tactical advantage. Park retaliated by ordering his fighters to climb no higher than . This conceded a considerable height advantage to the opposing fighters, but forced them to engage the Spitfires at altitudes more suitable for the latter.
By September the Axis's aerial operations against Malta were on the decline and the British regained air superiority over the island. RAF bomber and torpedo squadrons soon returned to Malta in anticipation of offensive operations against German forces in North Africa. Park dispatched Hurricane fighter bombers, fitted with extra fuel tanks, to attack Axis supply lines as far away as Egypt. Vickers Wellington medium bombers and Bristol Beaufort torpedo bombers attacked ports, shipping and airfields, disrupting the Axis supply routes. In October, the Axis resumed its bomber offensive against the island; resistance was more effective using Park's tactics although some bombers still managed to attack targets on Malta.
With supplies more regularly getting through to Malta, offensive operations in support of the Allied campaign in North Africa increased under Park's direction. More bombers arrived and these attacked targets in Algeria ahead of Operation Torch and, later, in Tunisia. There were also sorties against targets in Sicily and Sardinia. On 27 November, Park's appointment as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire was announced. This was "in recognition of distinguished services in the campaign in the Middle East". At times his relations with senior officials on Malta were testy; Vice Admiral Power described Park as "unsatisfactory to deal with". Park's work was praised by the American Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Dwight Eisenhower and British Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, appreciative of the RAF's operations from Malta in support of their ground forces in North Africa.
Operations of RAF forces in Malta against Sicily became increasingly important into 1943; the Italian island was a major departure point for shipping taking supplies to the Axis forces in Tunisia. By the end of May, Park had 600 modern aircraft under his control, three times what he had at the start of the year. RAF facilities on Malta had also undergone significant expansion in anticipation of the island serving as a major airbase in support of an Allied offensive against Italy. This began with the Operation Husky, invasion of Sicily on 10 July, a campaign lasting less than six weeks. Before its commencement, Park arranged the construction of a control room at Malta. From here, he directed operations of the aircraft under his command, which amounted to 40 squadrons based at Malta, Gozo and Pantelleria.
In September, Park went to London on leave and, while there, agitated for a new posting. Portal, still the CAS, thought that Park could become head of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force, replacing another New Zealander, Arthur Coningham (RAF officer), Arthur Coningham. Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder, commander of Mediterranean Air Command, preferred another candidate. Park was then slated to go to India as the air officer in charge of administration, but when the proposed appointment went to Churchill for approval, he preferred Park remain where he was for the time being.
Middle East
In January 1944, Park was promoted to air marshal and appointed air officer commander-in-chief of RAF Middle East Command, taking the role over from Sholto Douglas on Tedder's recommendation. Park arrived in Cairo on 6 January; his new post was subordinate to the RAF command structure for the Near East Air Force (Royal Air Force), Mediterranean and Middle East, led by Air Marshal John Slessor. Although Park's appointment was quickly criticised by Slessor, on the grounds that the RAF would lose influence in the region to the British Army, little weight was placed on his views as he was known to be very opinionated on matters about which that he often knew little. Portal and Tedder maintained their confidence in Park, as did Churchill. Park's duties in Cairo extended to the supervision of air operations in the eastern portion of the Mediterranean, as well as the Indian Ocean. He was also responsible for the training of RAF personnel in Egypt, Cyprus, Palestine and South Africa.
Partway through the year, Park was considered by the Australian government for command of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), because of the rivalry between its ''de jure'' head, the Chief of Air Force (Australia), Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal George Jones (RAAF officer), George Jones, and Jones's nominal subordinate, Air Vice Marshal William Bostock, in charge of RAAF operations in the Pacific. The Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, discussed the matter with Churchill and Portal in August, but to no avail. In any case, General Douglas MacArthur, the American commander of the South West Pacific Area (command), South West Pacific Area, said it was too late in the war to make such changes.
Far East
In the 1945 New Year Honours, New Year Honours, announced on 1 January 1945, Park was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). Soon afterwards, he was appointed Allied Air Command, South East Asia, Air Commander, South-East Asia Command (ACSEAC); Air Vice Marshal Charles Medhurst took over Park's role at Middle East Command. ACSEAC was a sought-after posting, and Slessor had agitated for the appointment. Portal deemed Park better suited to the role, given his operational experience. After he was invested with his KCB at Buckingham Palace by King George VI on 14 February, he and his wife departed the United Kingdom for Calcutta to take up his post, replacing Air Marshal Guy Garrod.
Once in his new command, one of Park's tasks was ensuring the aerial provision of General William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, William Slim's Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom), 14th Army, which was advancing through Burma to Rangoon. Many of his aircraft were engaged for several weeks dropping over 1,900 tons of supplies on a daily basis to the advancing British troops. One of Park's concerns was the British Army's lack of urgency in repairing airfields captured by the 14th Army as it moved towards Rangoon. Bringing these into service would have allowed him to shorten the flight times for the supply aircraft flying from their bases in India. It would often take several weeks after their capture before the airfields were operational, a delay Park believed would have been much greater if not for his urging. He also maintained his longstanding practice of visiting the RAF stations of his command, despite its wide range, which extended from Kandy, where he was initially based until shifting to Singapore, northwest to Quetta, south to the Cocos Islands and Hong Kong to the northeast.
Newly promoted to air chief marshal, on 12 September Park was present in his capacity as ACSEAC for the formal Surrender of Japan, surrender of the Japanese forces in the region, the ceremony being held in Singapore. In the aftermath of the Japanese surrender, Park's duties shifted to repatriating around 125,000 Allied internees, military and civilian, from prisons in the South East Asia region. To supplement his resources for this work, he impressed Japanese aircraft and personnel into service. There was also the matter of returning British soldiers and airmen to the United Kingdom, which required coordination with Transport Command as well as his own ACSEAC. The rate of return of RAF personnel was of particular concern as a proportion were required to fly and maintain the transports; this meant that more jobs in the civilian sector were going to former soldiers and sailors. Park sought to shorten the term of service to three years for single men, and this came into effect in April 1946.
Postwar service
In late November 1945, Park's headquarters transferred to Singapore, which in the postwar period was to be developed as an air base. Morale, due to the rate of repatriation of RAF personnel, continued to be a problem in the early part of the following year, and Park had to speak to several groups of dissatisfied men. Sympathetic to their concerns, he emphasised to his officers the need for pastoral care of the men under their command. Despite this, there were several instances of RAF personnel in SEAC refusing to work; as these involved conscripts, Park did not have to treat them as mutineers. In one instance, he blamed the commander of the unit for not ensuring his men's wellbeing.
Park was also engaged writing formal dispatches regarding operations carried out by SEAC. In his early drafts he was critical of the British land forces' ability to support the ground organisation required for his transport aircraft, and also emphasised the importance of air supply operations to the success achieved in the region. He toned down his writings in response to feedback from the War Office.
In February 1946, Park, looking ahead to his impending replacement as ACSEAC by his deputy, Air Marshal George Pirie (RAF officer), Guy Pirie, in late April, sought permission for leave in New Zealand before taking up his next post. Tedder advised that there was no envisaged role for Park in the RAF, preference being given to younger men. This greatly disappointed Park. For much of April, he was acting Supreme Allied Commander of South-East Asia while Lord Mountbatten was in Australia; this was the most senior command that Park held during his military career. The following month, after a recommendation by Mountbatten, Park was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB) "in recognition for distinguished services in South East Asia".
After recovering from a bout of dysentery, Park and his wife departed Singapore to commence their tour of New Zealand on 26 May. Park had not been to the country for over 31 years and it was the first visit for his wife. While there he saw family and friends and was the guest of honour at several civic functions throughout the country. He had been asked by the Air Ministry to meet with representatives of the RNZAF to discuss its postwar plans and needs. He reported back that there was an intention to align with the RAF on equipment and processes.
By August, Park was back in the United Kingdom and the following month received official notice of his impending retirement from the RAF. Taking into account leave he had been granted for his overseas service, he was retired with effect from 20 December 1946 and with the rank of air chief marshal. He was not entitled to the State Pension (United Kingdom), pension that came with this rank. Despite the advocacy of Tedder, Mountbatten and Slessor, the HM Treasury, Treasury would not pay the full amount and he instead received an amount equivalent to that due to an air marshal, plus a third of the difference between this and the pension due an air chief marshal.
One of his final official engagements was a visit to Buckingham Palace, where he received the insignia of the GCB from King George VI on 16 October. He was also recognised by the United States for his work during the Second World War, being appointed a Commander of the Legion of Merit in 1947.
Later life
Almost immediately after his retirement, Park became a representative of the Hawker Siddeley Group, which manufactured military and civilian aircraft. He was tasked with selling aviation equipment to countries in South America, aided by his previous experience in the region. He met the president of Argentina, Juan Perón, in early 1947, and a contract was subsequently signed later in the year for 380 Gloster Meteor jet fighters and 30 Avro Lincoln heavy bombers. By May he was back in England before he and his wife, along with one of their two sons, went to New Zealand. There, based in Auckland, he was Hawker Siddeley's Pacific representative.
Park was largely frustrated in his efforts to sell his employer's aircraft in New Zealand as there was a preference for those made by American manufacturers. He was occasionally critical of the purchasing decisions of the New Zealand government, which embarrassed Hawker Siddeley. In one case, he noted that while some pilots of the RNZAF still had to make do with antiquated North American P-51D Mustangs and de Havilland Vampires, the air forces of less developed countries were equipped with modern Hawker Hunter jet fighters.
Park was also involved in the establishment of Auckland International Airport at Māngere. He had already highlighted the importance of such a facility to the Auckland business community. He had received feedback from Sholto Douglas, now a director of the British Overseas Airways Corporation, that New Zealand's airfields were particularly poor. In 1951, Park was named chairman of the International Airport Committee and for the next few years worked towards obtaining the necessary land and cooperation from both central and local government.
In 1951, Park's son Ian, a constable with the police force in British Malaya, was killed in the line of duty. Ian's death was upsetting for both parents, but Park was better able to move on with life while his wife struggled to come to terms with the loss of her son.
In 1955, the same year that he stepped down from the International Airport Committee, Park's connections and advocacy with the Air Ministry resulted in the donation of a Spitfire to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It was an aircraft that he personally selected while on a visit to the United Kingdom that year. The donated Spitfire, a Mk XVI, which had been used in the filming of ''Reach for the Sky'', arrived at the museum the following year and Park gave an address at its formal unveiling. The aircraft remains on display in one of the museum's galleries.
Park's lack of diplomacy, together with his age, ultimately led to his retirement from Hawker Siddeley in June 1960. Soon afterward, encouraged by the city's mayor at the time, Dove-Myer Robinson, Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, Park stood for election for the Auckland City Council. He was elected for a three-year term in the 1962 Auckland City mayoral election, 1962 local elections, and went on to be reelected for two more terms. As a councillor he found himself again involved with the international airport at Māngere, being on the committee supervising the construction of some of its infrastructure. The airport began international operations in 1966 and, for a time, acquaintances of Park moved to have it named after him; the government declined to do so. In the final year of his last term as councillor, his wife, Lady Dorothy, who had been unwell for some time, died.
A film of the Battle of Britain was released in 1969, based on the book ''The Narrow Margin'' by Derek Wood (author), Derek Wood and Derek Dempster. Produced by Harry Saltzman, Battle of Britain (film), the film was intended to be an accurate representation of the battle. Before production commenced, Trevor Howard, the actor cast as Park, wrote to him with assurances of doing justice to his leadership of No. 11 Group. On viewing the finished film at its premiere in New Zealand, Park found it entertaining but noted the meeting in which he and Leigh-Mallory argued over the use of Big Wings was fictionalised and less dramatic than what had actually occurred.
Death
In his later years Park suffered a series of heart attacks. He took ill in Auckland on 2 February 1975 and was admitted to hospital, where he died on 6 February, aged 82. Park was accorded a military funeral, the service being held at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland, Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, New Zealand, Parnell. Condolences were sent by Elizabeth II and also Battle of Britain pilot John A. Kent, Johnny Kent. His remains were cremated and, at the request of his surviving son, his ashes scattered over Waitemata Harbour from an aircraft.
Later that year, on 12 September, a memorial service was held in London at St Clement Danes on the Strand, London, Strand. One of the speakers was Douglas Bader, who during his speech noted: "British military history of this century has been enriched with the names of great fighting men from New Zealand. Keith Park's name is carved into that history alongside those of his peers."
Legacy
In New Zealand, Park is commemorated by the Sir Keith Park Memorial Airfield in Thames and at the aviation section of the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland, the gate guardian of which is a replica of the Hurricane which Park flew while commanding No. 11 Group. The machine is not an accurate representation, as it has a stripe around the rear of the fuselage in duck-egg green, which was not introduced until the spring of 1941, by which time he was commanding Training Command. The Sir Keith Park Special School in Māngere, South Auckland, bears his name. In 2019, a bronze statue of Park was unveiled outside the Thames War Memorial Civic Centre. The statue was funded by a $200,000 bequest from Betty Hare, who felt that Park deserved greater recognition in his homeland.
Park's uniform and medals, among them the 1939–1945 Star, are on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Despite the physical presence of a Campaign clasp, Battle of Britain clasp on his 1939-45 Star, until recently Park's name was not on the official list of aircrew who were entitled to the clasp. After an investigation by historian Dilip Sarkar, Park's name was added to the list on the basis of having made at least one operational sortie during the battle.
In the United Kingdom, Keith Park Crescent, a residential road near the former RAF station at Biggin Hill, is named after him, as is Keith Park Road in Uxbridge.
A Southern Railway (Great Britain) SR West Country and Battle of Britain Classes, West Country Class/Battle of Britain Class locomotive, No. SR Battle of Britain class 21C153 Sir Keith Park, 34053 was named after him in 1947, Park being present at its dedication ceremony. The locomotive has survived into preservation, and has been restored from scrapyard condition. Rededicated to Park in 2013, the locomotive is presently owned by Southern Locomotives Ltd and based on the Spa Valley Railway.
Thanks to the advocacy of financier Terry Smith (businessman), Terry Smith, on 4 November 2009 a temporary tall fibreglass statue of Park was unveiled on the Fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. This was in recognition of his role in the Battle of Britain. Members of Park's family were present for the unveiling, which occurred in front of 1,000 people. It remained on display for six months before being moved to the Royal Air Force Museum in London in May 2010.
A more permanent recognition for Park in London was still desired and in May 2009 the Westminster City Council agreed to erect a tall statue in Waterloo Place.[ A bronze version of the sculpture displayed on the Fourth plinth was installed at Waterloo Place and unveiled there on 15 September 2010, during the 70th anniversary commemorations of the Battle. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Stephen Dalton, Sir Stephen Dalton, said that Park was "a man without whom the history of the Battle of Britain could have been disastrously different. He was a man who never failed at any task he was given."]
Notes

Footnotes
Citations
References
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External links
''Keith Rodney Park 2/1254'' WWI NZEF Military Personnel Record (online)
Thames Coromandel District Council – our airfields
Profile
on BBC News website
Clive James, BBC
1961 BBC Interview – Park describes Battle of Britain tactics, strategies and post-campaign conspiracies
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Park, Keith
1892 births
1975 deaths
People from Thames, New Zealand
New Zealand people of Scottish descent
People educated at Otago Boys' High School
Battle of Britain
British Army personnel of World War I
Royal Flying Corps officers
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New Zealand military personnel of World War I
New Zealand World War I flying aces
New Zealand World War II pilots
Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II
New Zealand military personnel of World War II
New Zealand commanders
Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies
New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
Commanders of the Legion of Merit
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Auckland City Councillors