Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

SERGEANT SELWYN KEITH LOVEDAY 414145, RAAF.

Keith Loveday was born in Lanefield Queensland on the 15th of April 1920, the eldest child of Walter and Postunia Loveday. Keith was educated at the Ashwell State School and the Ipswich Technical College and at the time of his enlistment in the RAAF he was a trainee mechanic/labourer employed in a Butter Factory. He lived on his parent’s property, Beaumont, outside of Lanefield.

Keith enlisted in the RAAF Reserve on the 11th of February 1941 and he was called up for service on the 16th of August that year. He completed his initial training at # 3 Initial Training School in Brisbane where he was streamed as a pilot and he was promoted to Leading Aircraftsman.
In early December Keith was posted to #2 Elementary Flying School (EFTS) at Archerfield in Queensland where he trained on the Tiger Moth Biplane. In late 1941, two thirds of the graduates of each EFTS Course would proceed to Canada to undertake Service Flying Training at an Empire Air Training Scheme Service Flying Training School (SFTS). The rapid advance of the Japanese in early 1942 put a temporary halt on trainees travelling to Canada because of concerns that their ships might be intercepted. Keith and his cohort were held at Archerfield where they received further instruction, gaining a total of 70 flying hours instead of the normal 60, before proceeding to Sydney in April 1942.

Keith embarked on the SS President Munroe in Sydney on the 26th of April with a large cohort of fellow trainee pilots who had completed elementary training at Archerfield, Bundaberg, Mascot or Narromine. They sailed to San Francisco where after a few hours ashore they embarked on trains for Edmonton in Alberta Canada, via Vancouver. Amongst the Narromine trainees was the author’s maternal uncle, Bill Gunning from Orange NSW.
After a period in Edmonton the pilots were split into two groups. The New South Welshmen were sent to #10 SFTS at Dauphin Manitoba, whilst Keith and his fellow Queenslanders were posted to #12 SFTS at Brandon, Manitoba, 100 miles south of Dauphin. The men would regularly meet up at Clear Lake, a small resort town midway between the two bases.

Keith proved to be a competent student and graduated with a total of 269 flying hours on the 25th of September 1942, at which time he was promoted to Sergeant and awarded his Flying Brevet (Wings). The men were all granted 14 days of leave on graduation, with many travelling to New York in the USA, with orders to report to the Embarkation Depot in Halifax Nova Scotia by the 7th of October.

On the 23rd of October Keith became ill with what was suspected to be influenza. He was admitted to hospital, but his temperature rose sharply and he was transferred to the Camp Hill Military Hospital where his condition was diagnosed as being Cerebral Spinal Meningitis. His condition rapidly deteriorated and in the early hours of the 26th of October he lapsed into unconsciousness. He passed away at 11.40 that evening.
Although Keith was buried with full military honours on the 28th of October, his mates from the President Munroe, including Bill Gunning, were unable to attend as they were embarking for the UK the next day. Bill Gunning himself would perish on operations over Belgium seven months later.

Sergeant Selwyn Keith Loveday is buried in the Fort Massey Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Halifax Nova Scotia. In 1995, the author was on exchange with the Canadian Navy in Halifax, and along with Commander Peter Jones RAN (now Vice Admiral Peter Jones AO DSC RAN (Rtd)) organised a ANZAC Day ceremony at Fort Massey where wreaths were laid at the Cross of Remembrance and on Keith’s grave.

Vale Keith Loveday.

Submitted by Tony Vine