DUMAS, Keith Russell
| Service Number: | 407055 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 May 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 45 Squadron (RAF) |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 14 September 1920 |
| Home Town: | St Peters (SA), Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Adelaide Technical High School, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk - Union Bank |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Burma, 16 October 1944, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar Joint grave 27. B. 6-7. |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Technical High School Old Scholars WW2 Honour Roll, Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Melbourne Union Bank of Australia Limited 'In Memoriam' WW2 Honour Roll, Municipality of St Peters Citizens Who Have Enlisted Roll of Honour, St Peters All Souls Anglican Church Stained Glass Window WW2, Yorketown Kadina Union Bank WW2 Roll of Honor |
World War 2 Service
| 27 May 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 407055, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 407055 | |
| 16 Oct 1944: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 407055, No. 45 Squadron (RAF), Air War SE Asia 1941-45 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
45 Squadron Letter
Keith Dumas was mentioned in a letter written on the 27/11/44. Written by Herb Wilson Flight Left Tennant HH Wilson 45 Squadron RAF India AUS 287431 and the letter mentions that Keith had be listed as missing.
"Nell, did you happen to meet Pat, Keith Dumas fiancé. He has been officially posted as missing. So, if you do see her don’t elaborate on that. The trouble is that there’s practically no hope of him being alive, so I do hope they don’t kid themselves that there is a good chance of him getting back."
Submitted 6 September 2020 by Anne Vize
notes
F/O Keith Dumas
F/O Keith Dumas 407055 Age 24, RAAF (Flying Officer) Died 16/10/1944. Son of Edmund Russell Dumas and Gertrude Diosma Dumas, of St. Peters, South Australia. TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY
It is not absolute certain if the Dumas on the squadron is 407055 as listed above from CWGS. It is not known how he died but it must have been while he served on another squadron because he had been an Obs on Blenheims.
Known to have been on the 10/11/1942 shipping strike on Akyab. Crew on this op was F/O Hanson & Sgt Taylor. Unknown which Taylor.SOURCE: Air War Over The Arakan, Author Tony Day.
Sgt John Reid notes in his log: on 25/05/1942 I flew Asansol - Dum Dum,( with bomb load). (This date Sgt Taylor belly landed short of fuel due to storms) Then Ops to Kalewa and Chindwin River, bombed river craft and back to Dum Dum. Later set course Dum Dum for Asansol with Lt. Bodley but returned Dum Dum due thunderstorms. Two days later (27/05/1942) flew Dum Dum - Asanol with Wilson / White as crew and Dumas and Gerloff as passengers.
Note: It is known that Sgt Keith Dumas and Sgt Tom Barry were close friends.
According to J Chapman, Lt Hookey Russell's original crew on Ops, one of the original 18 crews who left the Middle East for Burma, were Sgt Alan Tillott A/G, and possibly Sgt Keith Dumas Obo. Chapman also reports that Keith later flew with Major Bodley SAAF
source: http://113squadron.com/id25.htm
Submitted 14 December 2016 by Roderick EIME
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Edmund Russell Dumas and Gertrude Diosma Dumas, of St. Peters, South Australia.
Sgt-Obs. Keith R. Dumas is the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Dumas, of St. Peters, and was a member of the 27th Battalion (Scottish Corps) for 18 months before he enlisted in the RAAF in February, 1940. After having been trained in Australia, he left for the Middle East in June last, and received further instruction in Kenya. When last heard of by his parents he was on four weeks leave in India. His elder brother. PO C. J. Dumas, is in Libya.
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