Lieutenant Keith Moore

Keith Moore was born on 4 November 1923 to William and Marjorie Moore in Burnage Manchester. William was a Lt in the 2/6th Lancashire Fusiliers (Territorial).

Keith grew up in the area and went to Wimslow Secondary School, working with his father in his market garden business.

Keith joined the Army on 17th June 1940 as a Private at just 16 and was posted to 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment, eventually being promoted to Corporal, and also saw some service with 1st Borders,

He was then selected for officer training (Officer Conversion Training unit [OCTU]) and became a 2nd Lt from 27th March 1943.  He was then posted to an Infantry Training Centre (ITC) with The South Staffords from 2nd April 1943, completing a weapons handling and fieldcraft course in May/June before being posted to Airborne Forces Depot and School at Hardwick Hall from the 19th July 1943, but returned to 23 ITC on 21st of the same month. 

Keith was then posted to the 13th Parachute Battalion on 18th November 1943, having been promoted to War Substantive Lt on 27th Sept 1943. In Jan/Feb 1944 he attended a course at the Battle School at Hardwick Hall and was subsequently involved with the development of parachutes for the paradogs used by the 13th Battalion using his brothers puppy - Pat - as a test subject! Keiths brother, Peter, noted that this did cause an issue:

"One day while watching from an open first floor the dog saw Keith coming down the road and jumped to go and meet him, presumably thinking it could jump freely.  It fell and broke a leg and our Mum had to foot the vet's bill." 

During this phase of his career Keith was injured in a parachute jump and Struck Off Strength (SOS) 13th Para Bn and posted back to Hardwick Hall and the Airborne Forces Depot just 3 weeks prior to D-Day.

His transfer to the Army Air Corps is then canceled on 21st July 1944 and he is posted to 9th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

On 16th Jan 1945 he was finally posted to 23 Infantry Holding Battalion.

On 25 May 1945, aged just 21 and 17 days after VE Day Keith was on leave and went to view a cottage in Earls Colne, Essex. This was right next to an airfield with Gliders and Halifx tug aircraft. Using typical Airborne initiative Keith cadged a ride on a Halifax on a routine training mission, but tragically the aircraft was struck by lightning and crashed near Watford with a loss of all on board. 

Keiths funeral was well attended by airborne troops and the pallbearers were led by Capt R Midwood of 22nd Ind Pathfinders and he is buried in Colchester Military Cemetery. He was survived by a widow Patricia and son also called Keith.

Post-war, Keith's family also showed the same adventurous traits as both his son, also named Keith, and niece, Ellen, both took up sky diving.