Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Keith Murell Schmidt was born at Orroroo 2 Aug 1923, the only child of Clarence Louis and Kathleen Olive (nee Hillman) Schmidt. He grew up on the Willowie properties owned by his parents and attended the Willowie Public School. Clarence and Kathleen farmed sections 103,104,124, 185,125,126 and 146, Hundred of Willowie.

On turning 18 years, he enlisted in the RAAF 12 May 1942. He was sent to Melbourne to commence training as an Aircraft Electrician (Electrical Fitter). They were accommodated in the Royal Exhibition building in Carlton Gardens. He recalled that no one got much sleep as there were always late-night carousers coming back in the early hours bent on mischief.

On15 September 1943 he was posted to Bankstown, Sydney to join the newly formed 82 squadron which were equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobras and then Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks. In April 1944 the squadron was initially deployed to Hughes airfield in the Northern Territory. However, these orders were countermanded and the unit was concentrated at Ross River, Townsville. Keith completed further training on new types of aircraft during this time.

On 30 August 1944, 82 squadron was briefly deployed to Wards Field, near Port Moresby, until September when 15 Kittyhawks were deployed to the Kamiri airfield on Noemfoor Island at the western end of New Guinea. The squadron became fully operational when all the Townsville ground staff arrived in early November 1944. This was fairly tough going as they lived in tents and worked in the open on two meals a day. Home comforts were few but a thriving swap trade was carried on as well as plundering the lucrative US forces rubbish tip. There were daily visits from a single Japanese bomber, although little damage was done a fair bit of money changed hands on whether they could actually hit the airfield.

During March 1945 the squadron's personnel moved to Morotai by sea to continue the Island-hopping drive against enemy occupied areas in the Halmaheras. Operations from Morotai ceased on 22 May 1945 in preparation for the landing at Labuan in Borneo, which commenced 10 of June. The Squadron personnel arrived at Labuan by landing craft on 11 June 1945, and whilst enduring three days of heavy mortar fire from the Japanese defences, proceeded to repair the heavily bomb-damaged airstrip with operations resuming 25 June 1945.

After peace was declared in August of 1945, Keith made an application for release from the Airforce to return to Willowie and assist his father on the farm. His father had been running the property by himself, due to manpower shortages. Keith disembarked for Australia 28 November 1945, staying briefly in Sydney, before being discharged from the RAAF on 4 December 1945.

After the war Keith was employed in the South East of South Australia around Naracoorte as part of his demobilisation training. Here he met and married Audrey Ray Watson on 25th March 1950. Keith’s parents Clarrie and Ollie had relocated from Willowie whilst he was on active service, to Narrung (near Meningie) and Dingabledinga, (in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges). Keith and Audrey lived and worked with his parents before taking up the opportunity to get a soldier settlers property on Kangaroo Island. This started with two years working for the Land Development Executive as supervisor of a dam sinking team before they moved onto their farm. When the property was sold in 1977 they moved to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley.

Keith retired aged 69 years. He and Audrey became ‘grey nomads’, touring the country in their Toyota Hi-Ace van. Keith Murell Schmidt passed away 18 December 1999 at the age of 77 years, and is interred at Tabor Lutheran Church, Tanunda, South Australia.

Excerpt taken from "Diggers From the Dust" (2018) Di Barrie & Andrew Barrie