Keith Alexander MURDOCH

MURDOCH, Keith Alexander

Service Number: 406402
Enlisted: 9 December 1940
Last Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Last Unit: No. 450 Squadron (RAAF)
Born: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, 21 February 1914
Home Town: Perth, Western Australia
Schooling: Perth Modern School, Western Australia, 1929-33, UWA 1936
Occupation: Clerk
Died: Mosman Park, Western Australia, 10 August 1965, aged 51 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia
Crematorium Rose Gardens, Garden 90, Position 0012
Memorials: Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

9 Dec 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 406402, No. 450 Squadron (RAAF)
28 Jul 1941: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 406402, Commissioned in RAAF as P/O after completing course at No. 11 Service Flying Training School in at Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada on 24/7/41, see https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5261341 , P38
28 Jan 1942: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5261341 , P5
28 Jul 1943: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, No. 450 Squadron (RAAF), https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5261341 , P5
27 Nov 1945: Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 406402, No. 450 Squadron (RAAF)

Help us honour Keith Alexander Murdoch's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Robert Johnson

Extract from Keith's service record in relation to his last flight on 26 June 1942 when he was serving in the Western Desert with No. 450 Squadron, RAAF, a Kitttyhawk squadron: 

"P/O Murdoch was a member of a formation of six aircraft acting as top cover to Boston bombers bombing a target west of Charing Cross.  Over the target area, 3 Me 109’s attacked the formation which was split up and one of our aircraft got in a burst of fire at an enemy aircraft.  P/O Murdoch was not seen to go down and crash but did not return from the operation with the other aircraft and was posted as missing."

Charing Cross was a road junction south-west of Mersa Matrah in northern Egypt.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1074698 , P50

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