Vernon Keough

Vernon Keough Historical Figure Nationality: United States of America Year of Birth: 1911 Year of Death: 1941 Cause of Death: Crashed during combat Occupation: Pilot Military Branch: Royal Air Force Fictional Appearances: Or Even Eagle Flew POD: July 2, 1937 Type of Appearance: Direct

Pilot Officer Vernon Charles "Shorty" Keough (8 June 1911 – 15 February 1941) was an American pilot who flew with the Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain in World War II. He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star. His plane crashed into the sea as he pursued a German plane in February, 1941.

Vernon Keough in Or Even Eagle Flew

Vernon "Shorty" Keough (1911-1941) was one of several Americans who volunteered to fly for the Allies after the outbreak of World War II.

Keough was recruited by Colonel Charles Sweeny to fly for for France against Germany. In May, 1940, he went to Montreal to meet with Sweeny and other volunteers. While staying at the Mount Royal Hotel, he met fellow flyers Gene "Red" Tobin, Andy Mamedoff, and the very famous woman flyer, Amelia Earhart. As Keough had spent his last money getting to Montreal, he was quite vocal about the lack of contact from Sweeny.

After a few hours in the hotel bar, the four were approached by the bellboy, who provided them with envelopes sent by their recruiter, Colonel Charles Sweeny. The envelopes contained train tickets to Halifax, where they were to wait for another contact. Once they arrived in Halifax, a Frenchman provided them with traveling documents and money, and directed them to the harbor. Mamedoff and Keough boarded the Guigamp. Earhart and Tobin boarded the Pierre L.D., and soon they were on their way to France.

Two weeks later, the convoy safely arrived in St. Nazaire. However, it was immediately plain the war was going badly for France. After dealing with a snippy functionary who finally let them enter the country based on Earhart's reputation, the four pilots boarded a train for Paris. They arrived safely, and were put up in a fleabag hotel, where they listened to German bombing raids throughout the night. However, as the war was going horribly for Allies, the French government ignored the Americans for a few days. When they were given medical exams, Earhart had to deal with a doctor who tried to pressure her into sexual favors. This doctor was also resigned to the fact that France was "dead". While all four Americans passed their medicals, the French did not give them planes.

On June 10, 1940, the quartet realized that Paris was going to fall. They boarded a train to Tours, which was the home of an airfield, and now the French government. While the French Air Force knew who they were, they were unable to train the four on French planes before France asked for an armistice on June 17. Realizing that they couldn't stay in France, the four resolved to get to the UK. On June 18 they stole a pair of Potez 63 two-seaters (Earhart piloted one with Mamedoff in the passenger seat; Tobin and Keough took the other) and flew across the English Channel, safely landing in a farmer's meadow. The farmer assumed they were German, but then recognized Earhart. British soldiers arrived in short order.

While the British press loudly touted the Americans' arrival in London, the RAF was less certain. After a brief period of vacillation, the RAF agreed to train the three men at Croydon. Earhart, however, had to pressure on Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory to get to Croydon.

At the end of July, the four were posted to 609 Squadron at Middle Wallop. During the raucous last night in Croydon, a drunken South African flyer named Piet attempted to kiss and grope Earhart. She responded by headbutting him in the bridge of his nose. Tobin, Keough, and Mamedoff intervened, an act which further cemented the bond among the four. After all of the Americans did ferry duty for a few weeks, the Germans bombed Middle Wallop. All four Americans survived, but the attack made the risks of combat clear. Not long after that, all four were deemed operational, and they began flying as rear-guards, or "tail-end Charlie", for main vics of three. During their first fight, Mamedoff's plane was shot up, but he made it back.

After this engagement, 609 Squadron moved to the forward base at Warmwell. After another lull, the squadron guarded a convoy. Earhart was flying tail-end Charlie when German bombers attacked. During a dog fight, Earhart successfully downed a Me-110. The Germans withdrew without doing damage to the convey or to the British fighters. In early September, 609 Squadron returned to Middle Wallop. On September 9, 1940, two days into the German Blitz, the Squadron scrambled to London. The next weeks was a series of sorties as the Germans continued to attack London daily. Daylight sorties continued until September 15; after September 15, the Germans ceased their daylight attacks. Towards the end of the month, Keough, Tobin, and Mamedoff were assigned to 71 Squadron, the first of the proposed Eagle Squadrons. Earhart did join them after fighting a political battle with Air Marshal Sholto Douglas.

However, the squadron did very little at first, because the RAF did not provide planes until November 1, 1940. As 1940 passed into 1941, 71 Squadron began patrolling the North Sea. It was not combat, but the changing weather patterns of the area made it dangerous work all the same: Keough's section was scrambled on morning in February, 1941. He and another pilot dove into a cloudbank, and then likely dove straight into the sea. Earhart, Tobin, and Mamedoff were hit the hardest.