Keith William Truscott
17 May 1916 - 28 March 1943 (aged 26)
Keith Truscott in 1941.
Nickname	"Bluey"
Place of birth	Prahran, Victoria
Place of death	Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1940–1943
Rank	Squadron Leader
Unit	452 Squadron (May 1941-March 1942) 76 Squadron (June 1942-March 1943)
Commands held	No. 76 Squadron (3 June 1942-28 March 1943)
Battles/wars	Battle of Milne Bay
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Mention in Despatches

Keith William "Bluey" Truscott DFC & Bar, (17 May 1916 – 28 March 1943) was a World War II ace fighter pilot and Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Football Club.

[edit] Early life and sporting career

The Melbourne High School cricket team. Miller is standing at right. Truscott is seated with shield.

Born in Prahran, Victoria, Truscott attended Melbourne High School, where he captained the First XI for the school in cricket.

He mentored the young Keith Miller, who entered the First XI at the age of 14 and went on to be regarded as Australia's finest all round cricketer.

Truscott played 44 games (and kicked 31 goals) of VFL football as a half-forward flanker from 1937-1940 including Melbourne's 1939 and 1940 premierships.

[edit] War service

Truscott joined the Royal Australian Air Force in July 1940, a move that attracted much publicity. He almost failed pilot training; among other problems it was ascertained that he had a poor ability to judge heights. In the words of the Australian Dictionary of Biography: "[Truscott] never fully came to terms with landing and persistently levelled out about 20 ft (6 m) too high."^[1] This problem would come to have a grim significance.

Truscott completed flight training in Canada and joined No. 452 Squadron RAAF, flying Spitfires in England on 5 May 1941. He destroyed at least 14 Luftwaffe aircraft, was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and was made flight commander. Truscott was later made acting Squadron Leader.

Truscott, commanding No. 76 Squadron RAAF, taxis along Marsden Matting at Milne Bay, New Guinea in September 1942.

In 1942, he was then posted back to Australia with 76 Squadron, flying Kittyhawks. By this stage Truscott was, along with Clive Caldwell, one of the most famous RAAF pilots.

Truscott's squadron was posted to Milne Bay, Papua and played a significant role in the Battle of Milne Bay.

It was later transferred to Darwin, Northern Territory for a time, then Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. Truscott was killed in an accident in Exmouth Gulf on 28 March 1943. His Kittyhawk hit the sea at high speed, after he made a mock diving attack against a low-flying Catalina. The surface of the sea was unusually smooth that day, and it is believed that Truscott misjudged its proximity.

[edit] Memorials

The RAAF later named a base on the northern coast of the Kimberley region as Truscott Airfield.

The Melbourne Football Club's award for the Best and Fairest player is named in his honour, the "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy.

At Melbourne High School (Vic, Australia), a scholarship is awarded in his name to a student displaying all-round achievement in academic, sporting and extra-curricular activities. For reasons unknown it was discontinued, apparently in 1948. In 1994 Old Boy – Dr John Miller AO, winner of the 1946/47 Bluey Truscott Scholarship, Principal Ray Willis and the MHSOBA re-established the Bluey Truscott Scholarship. Dr John Miller provided the Bluey Truscott bronze plaque (hanging in the school foyer) and the "John Miller Distinguished Achievement Medal" to be awarded to all subsequent MHSOBA Bluey Truscott winners.

Truscott Street in North Ryde, Sydney and Truscott Street in Campbell, Australian Capital Territory are also named in his honour.

[edit] Honours and awards

• Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar (DFC*) - awarded 17 October 1941 and 27 March 1942
• 1939-1945 Star
• Air Crew Europe Star
• Pacific Star
• Defence Medal
• War Medal 1939–1945 (With Oakleaf, Mention in Despatches published in London Gazette 26 March 1943)
• Australia Service Medal 1939-45

[edit] See also

• List of World War II aces from Australia
• VFL/AFL players who died in active service

[edit] References

• Main, J. & Allen, D., "Truscott, Keith DFC and Bar", pp.342-348 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen — The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-740-95010-0
• Southall, I., Bluey Truscott: Squadron Leader Keith William Truscott, R.A.A.F., D.F.C. and Bar, Angus and Robertson, (Sydney), 1958.

[edit] External links

• Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Keith William Truscott DFC & BAR (400213)
• AFL Statistics: Keith Truscott
• Stephens, "Truscott, Keith William (Bluey) (1916 - 1943)", Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Bio at Australian War Memorial
• Details of his aircraft
• National Archives of Australia Casualty report file
• National Archives of Australia Service Record - Keith William Truscott, Service Number 400213