Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945 - The Men

List of all Fleet Air Arm
Commanding Officers 1939-1945

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L -
M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W

- X - Y - Z

S Keane RN
Born
Rank: Lt (A)(1941), Lt Cdr (A)(1942)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took part in the strike against the German battleship Bismarck, 26.5.1941 (HMS Ark Royal)
- built up 825 sqdn which had earlier in the month been decimated when the previous CO, Ltr Cdr Esmonde, had been killed trying to torpedo the Gernan battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in the English Channel
- involved in operations under RAF Coastal Command

Commands:

825	Feb 1942	Dec 1942

RW Kearsley RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took command of 898 hellcat sqdn when it was reformed at Wingfield, South Africa
-operated from HMS Attacker, 6.1945

Commands:

898	Jan 1945	End of WW2

JM Keene-Miller RN
Born
Rank: Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- POW, shot down by Bf109s over Normandy, D-Day+1, 7.6.1944 (Cdr Flying Lee-on-Solent)

Commands:

Cdr Flying Lee-on-Solent	1944	June 1944	POW

Keighly-Peach after landing on flight-deck in Sea Gladiator N5517, HMS Eagle, 1940

Charles Lindsay Keighly-Peach RN
Born
Rank: Cdr (1938), Capt 1943
Honours and Awards DSO, OBE
Died
Other information
- Air Ace with 3 confirmed destroyed enemy aircraft, 1 shared destroyed, 1 probable
- qualified to fly in 1926
- set up HMS Eagle Fighter Flight, the early defence of the Mediterranean Fleet, 1940
- the flight claimed 8 aircraft shot down, 5 involving K-P
- led attack on Italian destroyers threatening Port Sudan, assisting sinking all but one destroyer.
- loaned to Royal Canadian Navy, 1951-1953
- Seniority 12.1943 (C)

See bibliographic summary for Keighly-Peach

Commands:

CO RNAS Lee-on-Solent	3.1939	3.1940
Cdr Flying HMS Eagle	6.1940
Naval Assistant (Air) to 2nd Sea Lord	1941	1944
CO RNAS Yeovilton	1944	1945

BHM Kendall RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- took command of 804 sqdn at Skaebrae
- foreign award
- OBE
- seniority 5.1937 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

804	Nov 1940	March 1941

AS Kennard RN
Born
Rank: Lt
Honours and Awards: DSC (pre 1943)
Died
Other information
- immediately after taking command of 811 sqdn, was involved in attacking and damaging the German submarine U-203 26.4.1943, HMS Biter
- involved in attacking U-89 which was later sunk, 12.5.1943
- seniority 2.1946 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

811	April 1943	Nov 1943

N Kennedy RN (RAF)
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (Sqdn Ldr RAF)(1938), Cdr (1943)
Honours and Awards DSC
Died
Other information
-commanding 813 sqdn onboard HMS Eagle in the China Station and subsequently on the outbreak of war searched for enemy raiders in the Indian Ocean.
- in command when sqdn destroyed 2 Italian bombers, and during and attack on Tobruk sank 1 destroyer and 1 merchant ship and damaged another destroyer and 2 merchant ships, 5.7.1940
- involved in sunking 1 destroyer in attack on Port Augusta, Sicily, 8.7.1940

- seniority 6.1943 (Cdr)

Commands:

813	Sept 1938	Jan 1941

The Hon WAC Keppel RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (1945)
Honours and Awards DSC
Died
Other information
- family name of Earl of Albemarle
- commanded the reformed 86 barracuda sqdn at Lee-on-Solent, and then at Fearn.

- seniority 4.1945 (Lt Cdr)

Commands:

816	Feb 1945	June 1945

LJ Kiggell RN
Born
Rank: Lt (A)(1940), Lt Cdr (A)(1942)
Honours and Awards: DSC (pre Oct 1942) & Bar
Died
Other information
- took part in the first FAA minelaying operation under RAF Coastal Command in English Channel, 25.4.1940 (815 sqdn)
- took part in strike against Italian Fleet at Taranto, 11.11.1940
- took command of 841 albacore sqdn at Manston, attached to RAF Fighter Command
- involved in night ops against shipping in the Dover Straits and English Channel
seniority 12.1948 (Cdr)

Commands:

841	Oct 1942	Dec 1942

RA Kilroy RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards: DFC
Died
Other information
- Led first squadron to join RAF Coastal Command in minelaying operations in English Channel, 25.4.1940 (815 sqdn)
- provided suport during the Dunkirk evacuation, 5.1940
- operated from HMS Illustrious but left the sqdn before it sailed for the Mediterranean in August, 1940
- involved in chasing itaainan seaplanr but stopped firing when red cross markings seen, 2.9.1940
- shated shooting down z501 in flames near Malta, 2.9.1940

Commands:

815	April 1940	Aug 1940

PF King RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards:
Died
Other information
- took command of 822 sqdn on HMS Furious for Arctic convoy duties,
- commanded 822 one of the first sqdns to reform with the new FAA divebomber, barracuda, 7.1943
joined the 45th Naval TBR Wing for duties in the Eastern Fleet.

Commands:

822	March 1943	Aug 1943

RA Kingdon RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards: DSC
Died
Other information
- took command of 830 sqdn as part of No 8 TBR Wing at Hatston
- led the sqdn in the first strike on the german battleship Tirpitz, in Kaa Fjord, Norway, Operation Tungsten, HMS Furious 3.4.1944
- took part in operaytion ridge Able against shipping off Norway, 194
- took part in operations Mascot and Goodwood against the Tirpitz 7-8.1944, when the Wing Leader, Lt Cdr Baker Falkner, was lost on 18.7.1944

Commands:

830	Jan 1944	Oct 1944

TJA King-Joyce RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- in command of the reformed corsair sqdn at Brunswick
- disbanded the sqdn at Nutts Corner, 9.1945

Commands:

1835	Dec 1944	Sept 1945	disbanded
883	Sept 1945	++

DW Kirke RN
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- involved with malta convoys, HMS Unicorn, 5.1943
- provided fighter cover for the Salerno landings, 9.1943

-awarded CB, CBE, MBIM

Commands:

887	Aug 1942	Jan 1944

JH Kneale RNVR
Born
Rank: Lt Cdr (A)
Honours and Awards
Died
Other information
- first CO of 1790 firefly sqdn at Burscough
- embarked on HMS Vindex for the British Pacific Fleet but saw no action before VJ-Day.

Commands:

1790	Jan 1945	End of WW2

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