Park, Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith

Park, Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith (1892–1975),New Zealand airman who commanded an RAF Fighter Group during the Dunkirk evacuation and then in the battle of Britain.

From July 1938 to April 1940 Park served as senior air staff officer to Dowding, the C-in-C Fighter Command, and was then appointed to command No. 11 Fighter Group which comprised about 23 squadrons and was responsible for defending south-east England. Promoted air vice-marshal that July, Park maintained high morale during those critical months by regularly piloting his own Hurricane to visit his stations—he was one of the very few high-ranking air force officers in the world in 1940 able to fly modern fighters. His value lay not only in his leadership but in his ability to adjust quickly to new Luftwaffe tactics. However, his methods conflicted with the ‘Big Wing’ theory (see fighters, 2) of Leigh-Mallory who commanded No. 12 Fighter Group and whose fighters sometimes reinforced Park's. Dowding supported Park, the air ministry backed Leigh-Mallory. In November Dowding left Fighter Command and the following month the argument was settled by Leigh-Mallory replacing Park who was transferred to No. 23 Group, Flying Training Command. But by then the battle had been won.

In January 1942 Park was appointed AOC Egypt and then, in July, AOC Malta. In January 1944 he became C-in-C RAF Middle East and the following February took up the post of air C-in-C for South-East Asia Command with the rank of acting air chief marshal. He was knighted in 1942.

Bibliography

Orange, V. , Biography of Air Chief-Marshal Sir Keith Park (London, 1984).