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Keith
Caldwell
Name: Keith Logan
"Grid" Caldwell
Country: New Zealand
Rank: Major
Service: Royal Flying Corps
Units:8, 60, 74
Victories: 25
Date Of Birth: October 16, 1895
Place of Birth: Wellington, New Zealand
Date Of Death: November 28, 1980
Place of Death: New ZealandCaldwell began the war in the New Zealand Territorial Infantry.
Having already learned to fly, he traveled to England to join the
Royal Flying Corps in April 1916. Following flight training, he
was assigned to 8 Squadron in France on July 29, 1916. After
scoring his first victory with a B.E.2d, he was reassigned to 60
Squadron in November of 1916. By September of 1917, "Grid" shot
down seven enemy aircraft with Nieuport Scouts, then began flying
the S.E.5a with which he scored his ninth victory on 15 September.
Returning to England in October, he served as an instructor before
returning to France in April of 1918 as commanding officer of 74
Squadron.
Before the war was over, Caldwell survived a mid-air collision
and scored sixteen more victories. But for his poor marksmanship,
some thought that "Grid" might have been one of the highest
scoring aces of the war.
Caldwell eventually returned to New Zealand where he became a
farmer and married the sister of Frederick Gordon. During World
War II, he served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, attained
the rank of Air Commodore and was awarded the CBE.
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