Keith Hampshire (RAAF officer)

Early life

The Hampshire family had an agricultural background and Keith was born at Portsea, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, to Gladys May Hampshire and Percy George Hampshire. The family moved to Perth, Western Australia (WA), where Percy Hampshire took up a position as State Dairy Expert and later became a cattle breeder. Keith attended Scotch College, where he obtained a Junior Certificate. Hampshire then attended Muresk Agricultural College, worked as a wool classer and gained a pilots' licence in his spare time.

A keen surfer and track and field athlete, Hampshire was a member of the WA team at the 1935 national surf life saving carnival in Sydney, and during the same period was also chief instructor at Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club.

He joined the RAAF on 18 January 1937 and had the service number of "147" throughout his career. In 1939, Hampshire completed a specialist signals course in England at RAF Cranwell, as the war was breaking out. He was initially posted to signals duties in Australia.

Hampshire was promoted to temporary squadron leader in 1941 and returned to flying, commanding maritime patrol squadrons: No. 6 Squadron RAAF at RAAF Richmond, and then No. 23 Squadron RAAF in Queensland. He was promoted to temporary wing commander in October 1942.

Pacific theatre

In December 1942, Hampshire received a front-line command: No. 22 Squadron RAAF, flying Douglas Boston Mk III light bombers in New Guinea. Aviation historian Hank Nelson described Hampshire's approach to operations as "aggressive", accompanied by a concern for his squadron's facilities and morale. Hampshire worked closely in 22 Sqn with Flight Lieutenant Bill Newton and it was Hampshire who recommended Newton for the posthumous award of a Victoria Cross. (In March 1943, Newton was shot down and taken prisoner during a mission over Japanese positions near Salamaua and subject to summary execution by a Japanese officer.)

22 Sqn played a key role in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. On the morning of 5 March 1943, to hinder Japanese air support, Hampshire led six Bostons in an attack on the major airbase at Lae. As he began the squadron's attack run, Hampshire was seriously wounded in the leg by shrapnel and suffered severe blood loss, but carried out the attack and piloted his Boston back to base. Before the wound had fully healed, Hampshire resumed combat operations. As a result of his conduct since joining 22 Sqn, he was awarded the DSO, on 27 April 1943 (see the Citation opposite).

In mid-1943, the RAAF transferred Hampshire to the UK. He travelled via the United States and in New York City the US Army Pictorial Service filmed Hampshire at the Empire State Building, in conversation with former members of the US 3rd Bombardment Group – discussing their respective roles during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. The footage appeared in the documentary feature Appointment in Tokyo (1945).

Europe

In the UK, Hampshire undertook a fighter conversion course, and in late 1943, he assumed command of No. 456 Squadron, an Article XV RAAF night fighter unit, at RAF Fairwood Common, in Wales. The squadron was converting at the time to the De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk. XVII, which carried AI Mk X on-board radar. In the words of Nelson, Hampshire proved to be a "demanding leader who enforced the division between the officers and non-commissioned aircrew... drove the squadron hard, and [ensured] it was well prepared for front-line duties.

In March 1944, in response to Unternehmnen Steinbock ("Operation Ibex"), a German Luftwaffe intruder offensive against targets in southern England, 456 Sqn relocated to RAF Ford, in Sussex.

According to aviation historian Martin W. Bowman, Hampshire and his navigator, Flt Lt Tom Condon most often flew Mosquito HK286 (squadron code "RX-A").

The pair experienced great success in this aircraft, starting with two Ju 88s shot down on [the night of] 27/28 February 1944 off the south-west coast [of England]. On 24/25 March they destroyed Ju88 [3E+AP] of 6./KG 6 over Walberton, in Sussex, and three nights later ... downed [two] Ju 88s[:] 3E+FT of 9/KG 6 [over Beer, Devon,] and B3+BL of 3./KG 54 [over Isle Brewers, Somerset]... On 23/24 April they shot down another Ju 88 into the sea near Swanage, whilst on 28/29 April they probably damaged a Do 217 86 miles off Durrington [West Sussex]. On 22/23 May they downed a Ju 88S off the Isle of Wight, and on 12/13 June claimed ... another Ju 88 over the [English] Channel.

As D-Day approached, 456 Sqn switched to intruder and ground attack sorties over occupied Europe. The squadron primarily attacked trains and other ground targets in France, while also diverting the Luftwaffe from major Allied bomber operations.

Near Le Havre on D-Day + 1 (7 June 1944), 456 Sqn intercepted a formation of four-engined Heinkel He 177 heavy bombers, belonging to KG 40, each armed with two glide bombs, approaching the Allied beachheads. Hampshire shot down one of the heavy bombers and 456 Sqn destroyed four in all. 456 Sqn also destroyed more than 20 V-1 flying bombs. While 456 Sqn had shot down only six enemy aircraft before Keith Hampshire assumed command, it was credited with 38 kills by the time he departed.

By 1944, Hampshire's brother John was also commanding a RAAF unit in the UK, No. 461 Squadron RAAF. The parallel military careers of the brothers attracted publicity, as did their recreational interests, including participation in a surf carnival reputed to be the first held in England. At around this time, Australian official war artist William Dargie made Hampshire the subject of a portrait (later acquired by the Royal Air Force Museum).

Hampshire ceased combat duties in November 1944, after which he was posted to No. 300 Group, RAF Transport Command. This was part of the Allied preparations for the final stages of the war against Japan.

On 18 February 1945, Hampshire was awarded a Bar to his DSO, as a result of his service with 456 Sqn (see the citation opposite).

He was discharged from the RAAF in Australia on 29 April 1946, by which time he had achieved the substantive rank of group captain.

Later life

Nelson said of Hampshire's post-war life, that his "confidence, even arrogance, in decision-making, his courage, skill, competitiveness and acceptance of the loneliness of command that had served him well in the air war did not transfer easily into business." He never married.

Hampshire worked for the British Aviation Insurance Group in Australia and Asia, as well as fields such as farming, oil exploration, aircraft sales and importing.

During the 1960s, he attended Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts (1963) and a Master of Arts in economics (1970).

While visiting the United States, on or about 17 November 1982, Hampshire died from injuries following a fall from a beach cliff at Palos Verdes, California. A coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.