Keith Pettiford (15 February 1915 – 20 November 1942) was an Australian RAAF officer who died in WWII and rugby league footballer who played in the New South Wales Rugby League for Sydney University. ^[1]

Early life and rugby league career

Pettiford was born on 15 February 1915 in Wollongong to parents Henry Augustine and Ellen Scott Pettiford. ^{[1] [2] [3]} He graduated from the University of Sydney with a B.A. degree, and appeared once as wing for the university's rugby league team in 1937. ^{[1] [2]}

Military career

Pettiford worked as a public school teacher in his hometown of Wollongong. ^[4] He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 28 April 1941 in Sydney. ^[3] Rising through the ranks to flying officer, Pettiford served in England as part of No. 27 Operations Training Unit RAF, flying Vickers Wellington bombers from RAF Lichfield. ^[5] On 20 November 1942, serving as a flight navigator on Vickers Wellington Z1744, Pettiford and the other five crewmen aboard were killed when the bomber crashed near Upper Hulme. ^[5] The Wellington had been intercepted by two American Supermarine Spitfires while the bomber was conducting a training flight. One of the fighters cut the radio line used to communicate with the airbase, causing Z1744's crew to become disoriented and to eventually crash. ^[5] Pettiford and the other Australian casualties were buried in Fradley (St. Stephen) Cemetery. ^[2]

Career statistics

References