Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior 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. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...

Vernon Charles "Shorty" Keough (8 June 1911 – 15 February 1941) was an American pilot who flew with 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 ...

during 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 ...

World War II 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 ...

. He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF

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 ...

between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star.

Biography

Born in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.pilot's license Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits for operating aircraft. Flight crew licences are issued by the civil aviation authority of each country, which must establish that the holder has met minimum knowledge and experience before issui ...

in America and was also a professional parachute jumper with over 500 jumps, performing at air shows across America.

Second World War

Keough and his friends and fellow Americans Andrew Mamedoff and Eugene Tobin were among 32 pilots recruited by American soldier of fortune

Charles Sweeny Charles Michael Sweeny (January 26, 1882 – February 27, 1963) was an American Mercenary, soldier of fortune, United States Army lieutenant colonel, French Foreign Legion officer, Polish Land Forces, Polish army brigadier general, Royal Air ...

to join the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

. However, by the time they reached France, Germany had already invaded the country. The trio made their way to England and joined the

in 1940. (Of the rest of Sweeny's recruits, four were killed, 11 were taken prisoner, and two others reached England.) Keough was the smallest pilot in the whole of the Royal Air Force, hence the nickname, and was just tall. He had to use two cushions in his

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

to see out of the cockpit. On 8 August 1940 Keough was posted to No. 609 Squadron RAF at Middle Wallop airfield. He flew many missions during the height of the

in August and September. He was credited with one shared kill:

Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Large numbers were operated by the ''Luftwaffe'' throughout the Second World War. The Do 17 was designed during ...

bomber shot down on 15 September with Pilot Officer Mike Appleby and Flight lieutenant John Dundas. He was posted to RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire on 18 September 1940 and was a founding member of No. 71 'Eagle' Squadron along with

Art Donahue Arthur Gerald Donahue, (29 January 1913 – 11 September 1942) was an American fighter pilot who volunteered to fly for the British Royal Air Force in World War II. He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 J ...

, Andrew Mamedoff, and Eugene Tobin.

Death

On 15 February 1941, Keough was on a convoy-protection mission off

Flamborough Head Flamborough Head () is a promontory, long on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the olde ...

East Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to the south-west ...

. During the chase of a

Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...

, he was last seen spinning off into the sea. He may have been a victim of disorientation in cloud or oxygen failure. He was 29 years old. His body was not recovered, but he is remembered on the

Air Forces Memorial The Air Forces Memorial, or Runnymede Memorial, in Englefield Green, near Egham, Surrey, England is a memorial dedicated to some 20,456 men and women from air forces of the British Empire who were lost in air and other operations during World War ...

at Runnymede.

References

External links

''4th Fighter Group WWII'' Official WWII Association Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keough, Vernon 1911 births 1941 deaths Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II The Few Missing in action of World War II American military personnel killed in World War II American Royal Air Force pilots of World War II French Air Force personnel of World War II Military personnel from Elizabeth, New Jersey Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1941

Biography

Second World War

Death

See also

References

External links