P/O Roy Barrington Keedwell serial number?

[Paul Squires]

Hi Wartimes,

I have reached the entry in They Shall Grow Not Old for P/O Roy Barrington Keedwell, who died in hospital on or near February 11, 1942, in Palembang, Sumatra, either from wounds or injuries. TSGNO gives his serial number as 'J15227' which is in the range for RCAF officers promoted overseas. But the CWGC site has his serial as 'J152217', which is suspect.

To further complicate the matter the site https://rcafuplands.blogspot.com/2012/1 ... -1940.html gives him the serial 'J15217', previously enlisted as 'R69693'.

Not often we see 3 different serial numbers for one officer. Can anyone clear this up?

Many Thanks,

Paul Squires
Wetaskwin, Alberta

[Temujin]

Hi Wartimes,

I have reached the entry in They Shall Grow Not Old for P/O Roy Barrington Keedwell, who died in hospital on or near February 11, 1942, in Palembang, Sumatra, either from wounds or injuries. TSGNO gives his serial number as 'J15227' which is in the range for RCAF officers promoted overseas. But the CWGC site has his serial as 'J152217', which is suspect.

To further complicate the matter the site https://rcafuplands.blogspot.com/2012/1 ... -1940.html gives him the serial 'J15217', previously enlisted as 'R69693'.

Not often we see 3 different serial numbers for one officer. Can anyone clear this up?

Many Thanks,

Paul Squires
Wetaskwin, Alberta

Paul, copies of various records showing his Other Ranks Service Number as R69693 and his Officer Service Number was J15227

Also, a letter that indicates how he died. They listed it as an “air accident” but you can see that he was returning to base AFTER being wounded in an Air Battle with the Japanese and apon landing his aircraft and taxing in, his aircraft was engulfed in Flames when ANOTHER aircraft already on the ground burst into flames.

He died a few days later from his burns.

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[Temujin]

A bit more info. At the time of his dead, he was with 258 Squadron RAF. I have a records showing he was with that Squadron on the 30 Oct 1941

Unfortunately their are NO records for 1942 so can’t give you any more detail on his death

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[Paul Squires]

Thank You again Temujin,

It's not often I see a possible error in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, and I don't assume anything unless I can check it. It's too easy publish something that then gets quoted as fact.

(It's what I am trying to do, compare the records on the Internet with the official information, where possible)

In the case of P/O Keedwell the situation at Palembang at that time was chaotic, to say the least, and published recollections of survivors afterwards are, not surprisingly, different. The attestation from Scott, P/O ---- and Gregory in April, 1943, is probably the earliest written statement, and likely the most accurate and Many Thanks again for sending it.

I'll update his entry in the Chronology, and add the information to the Errata, and also reference this thread to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

All the Very Best,

Paul
Wetaskiwin