Truscott, Keith William 'Bluey'
Keith William "Bluey" Truscott
May 17th 1916 to March 28th 1943
Enlisted 21 July 1940, 400213 Squadron Leader
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Bar
Keith "Bluey" Truscott was probably the best known RAAF pilot killed in the war. He was a well known Melbourne footballer when he joined the RAAF in 1940, who became a fighter pilot and established his reputation as an Ace in Britain. Born on 17 May 1916 at Prahran, Melbourne, he proved to be both a good student and keen sportsman, playing Australian Rules for the Melbourne's Football Club's premiership team in 1939. A popular sporting figure Keith left his job as an accountant in 1940 to join the RAAF. He was not a natural pilot and almost failed his course. His position as something of a public figure afforded Truscott a chance to continue flying and he eventually earned his wings despite becoming known for his poor landings.
Photo: Keith "Bluey" Truscott in flying kit.
He trained as a pilot in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme and commissioned in February 1941 went to England in 1941 as a foundation member of No. 452 Squadron RAAF, which between August and November was the top-scoring fighter squadron in Britain.
Keith soon established his personal reputation, destroying up to 16 enemy aircraft; he was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
He was never regarded as a great flyer, but he was aggressive and accurate with his shooting. Stories of his exploits, most of them over German-occupied France, were read widely in Australia and he became a national hero. In 1942 he was posted back to Australia, where fans forgave him for his loss of form and playing skill when he took part in a special return football game.
Photo: Pilots from 452 Squadron in the dispersal hut at R.A.F. Station Kenley late 1941.
Left to right, background; P.O. R.H.C.Sly, Sgts R.H.Bevan, W.J.Wilkinson, J.R.Ross, J.M.Morrison.
Foreground; Sgts D.F.K.Downes, K.D.Bassett, F-Lt K.W.Truscott, P.O. D.F.Evans, F-Sgt Baldwin (R.A.F.), P.O. R.H.Whillans
No 452 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter unit formed during World War II, in England. The squadron flew Supermarine Spitfires for the entire war, initially over the UK and Nazi-occupied Europe. The squadron was later based in Australia and the Netherlands East Indies.
"Bluey" Truscott was perhaps the best-known of the squadron's fliers. Although it was an RAAF unit, while it was in Europe, 452 Sqn also had some British personnel, from the Royal Air Force as well as other British Commonwealth air forces and other nationalities. One of these was the Irish ace Paddy Finucane. A number of Polish pilots also flew with the squadron and proved to be formidable pilots, despite occasional language problems.
No. 452 Squadron rapidly developed a formidable reputation in operations against German forces. They were involved in many different kinds of operations. One of the most unusual was escorting a bomber that - with the co-operation of the Germans - dropped an artificial leg by parachute into Europe, for the use of the British ace Douglas Bader, who was a prisoner of war. The bombers flew on to bomb a factory.
Another notable operation was the attack on the pocket battleships Scharnhorst, Prince Eugen and Gneisenau which were attempting the "Channel Dash", from their French harbour. Allied aircraft inflicted severe damage to these ships, despite intense anti-aircraft fire. The squadron did not lose an aircraft or suffer any damage to it on this occasion. "Bluey" was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for this action.
In Australia, Keith joined No. 76 Squadron in Bankstown. Moving from his favourite aircraft, the Spitfire, Truscott now flew P-40 Kittyhawks . The squadron had previously served in Papua and, including "Bluey", redeployed there in July 1942. Before leaving Australia, he played a last game for the Melbourne Football Club, but lacking match fitness, was unable to keep up with the play and found himself exhausted. He had received a rousing public welcome and kicked a goal, much to the fans' delight, but when he was asked whether he would play again, he replied that it was no longer for him.
It was, he said, "too dangerous."
In mid-1943 he took part in the desperate fighting, in appalling conditions, at Milne Bay, in Papua, and was promoted to command the squadron, the previous leader having been killed in action. Keith evacuated his aircraft to Port Moresby amidst uncertainty about whether the airfields at Milne Bay could be held. His squadron served throughout the Milne Bay battle in constant rain, heavy mist, and low clouds. The mountainous terrain, slippery runways, and heavy anti-aircraft fire added to the danger but he survived and continued to command the squadron when it was transferred to Darwin.
Keith and his pilots had a vital part in the local defeat of the Japanese. Later, in January 1943, in the defence of Darwin he shot down an enemy bomber. His tally rose to 16 enemy aircraft destroyed along with three probables and three damaged. In February 1943 the squadron moved to a quieter posting in Western Australia. "Bluey" was on a training flight over the Exmouth Gulf off the Western Australia coastline on 28th March when he made a mock attack on a low-flying Catalina whilst flying a Kittyhawk fighter. Misjudging his height over the glassy water, he crashed into the sea and was killed.
Photo: A Curtis P-40E-1 Kittyhawk piloted by the ace Keith "Bluey" Truscott, commander of No. 76 Squadron RAAF,
taxis along Marsden Mattingat Milne Bay, New Guineain September 1942.
The squadron finished the war as part of the Australian First Tactical Air Force, based in the Dutch East Indies.
Photo: "Bluey" with some other pilots and an early Spitfire
Keith "Bluey" Truscott was the RAAF's second-highest-scoring ace of the Second World War after Clive "Killer" Caldwell, and each year the Melbourne Football Club remembers him when it awards the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Medal for the best and fairest player.
Also the Truscott Club Located on Payne Street was named after Squadron Leader " Bluey" Truscott, RAAF due to his commanding of the Fighter Squadron responsible for the defense of Exemouth Gulf (Operation Potshot) during the War.
Photo: Champagne bottle given by "Bluey" Truscott to "Ma Dowling" prior to departing for the war. This artifact resides at the RAAF Association in Melbourne.
Credits
Shire of Exemouth Web - www.exmouth.wa.gov.au/ Slackbastard.anarchobase.com
En.Wikipedia.org
Diggerhistory.info/pages-heroes
