Eric Keetley
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- Military history
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He was the son of Joseph Henry and Emily Keetley and the brother John Frederick, James, Robert and Kenneth Keetley. In 1921, they lived at 35, Little Hallam Lane, Ilkeston, Derbyshire relocatimg to 11, Stapleford Road, Trowell, Nottinghamshire by 1939.
Wellington IC R1470 took off 1847 3 April 1941 from Marham. On return from operational flight shot down by a Ju88C Intruder (Lt Heinz V_lker 1.Crashed 1.20 on marshaland at Ongar Hill, Terrington St Clement 5 miles west of King's Lynn, Norfolk.
Sergeant E Keetley: missing believed killed; Sergeant C M Thompson, Sergeant H Y Chard, Pilot Officer S S Barnett, Sergeant J S C Sherman: killed; Sergeant J G Russell: uninjured.
54 aircraft - 39 Wellingtons, 11 Hampdens, 4 Manchesters attacked German shipping at Brest. One bomb fell in the dock in which German cruiser Gneisau was lying. One bomb hit the Continental Hotel in Brest killing several German naval officers.
The following day the Gneisau was moved to a buoy in Brest harbour where it was hit and seriously damaged by a Coastal Command Beaufort which was then shot down with no survivors. The plane's captain P/O K Campbell was awarded a posthumous VC.
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