Keith Truscott

Keith William "Bluey" Truscott, (17 May 1916 – 28 March 1943) was a World War II ace fighter pilot and Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Football Club.

Truscott was born in South Yarra, Victoria, on 17 May 1916, to William Truscott and Maude Truscott (née Powell).

He attended Melbourne High School, where he captained the First XI in cricket and First XVIII in Football as well as being a Prefect, and House Captain.

While there, he mentored the young Keith Miller, who entered the First XI at the age of 14 and went on to be regarded as Australia's finest all round cricketer; both students were taught Mathematics by Test cricketer Bill Woodfull and coached football by Ralph Empey.

Truscott enlisted at the age of 24, a day after his team Melbourne defeated Richmond and with five rounds of football remaining for the year.

Melbourne was a favourite to win the Premiership; Jack Dyer stated that this was "the best side Melbourne ever had. They won three Premierships on end and but for the war years they would have shattered Collingwood's record by winning six on end."

Consequently, Truscott joining the war effort created significant publicity.

Truscott played 44 games (and kicked 31 goals) of VFL football as a half-forward flanker from 1937 to 1940, playing in Melbourne's 1939 and 1940 premiership victories, taking leave from military duties to play in the September 1940 final.

Melbourne Coach Frank 'Checker' Hughes wrote how Melbourne's forward line included "that red-headed bullet, 'Bluey' Truscott".

Truscott starred in Melbourne's 1939 Grand Final victory against Collingwood in front of 78,000 people.

The Argus reported that Melbourne was down in the first quarter "and only a gallant effort by Truscott redeemed Melbourne"; after kicking a goal in the third quarter, "Truscott reached his greatest heights" and Melbourne went on to win the match.

After joining the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940, he became the second-highest-scoring Australian World War II ace, credited with 20 confirmed victories and 5 unconfirmed victories.

After completing flying training in Canada, Truscott served in Britain flying Spitfire fighters.

In the 1940 semi-final against Richmond, The Sporting Globe noted that "at half-time Melbourne replaced Norm Smith with Truscott . . . who immediately came into the play, dashingly gathering the ball round the wing and on the angle popping it through for Melbourne’s seventh goal" a match they won by three points.

In 1940, Truscott undertook his Initial Training Course, passing the two-month course in one month with Distinction before moving on to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF.

Truscott was instructed by Pilot Officer Roy Goon who instructed over 800 pilots in his career, and also served as Squadron Leader of No. 83 Squadron.

Truscott joined No. 452 Squadron flying a RAF Supermarine Spitfire in England on 5 May 1941.

Truscott formed a strong and binding friendship with another fighter ace, Wing Commander Paddy Finucane.

They formed, according to Ivan Southall, the toughest, ice-cold fighter partnership in the RAF, contributing to what was the highest scoring unit in Fighter Command.

By this stage Truscott was, along with Clive Caldwell, one of the most famous RAAF pilots.

While in England, his fame was such that he was used as fundraising icon, with the Marquess of Donegall exhorting his countrymen with red hair to donate money to buy a Spitfire in which Truscott, who was nicknamed "Bluey" because of his red hair, would fly.

In 1941, after destroying several Messerschmitts, Truscott's Spitfire had its tail shot off and fuel tanks ruptured.

Returning to base, the Spitfire eventually ran out of fuel over the English Channel.

Truscott attempted to bale at 4,000 feet but was caught in his cockpit; he broke free only 400 feet above the sea with his chute opening moments before he hit the water.

The ethics of attacks on parachutists was strongly debated during the war.

In October 1941, Truscott destroyed two Messerschmitts over occupied France during a series of engagement and one of those pilots managed to bale out.

Truscott then shot at the parachutist as he descended.

On the squadron's return to RAF Kenley, Truscott's close friend and crew member Clive 'Bardie' Wawn DFC called him "a bastard, [for] shooting at that Jerry".

Truscott's reply to Wawn was pragmatic: "He might have gone up tomorrow and shot you down".

He returned to Australia in early 1942 and served in New Guinea, where he fought during the climactic Battle of Milne Bay.

After being recalled from Britain and before his deployment to the North-Western Area Campaign, Truscott made one final appearance in 1942.

Anticipating Truscott's return, the Melbourne Football Club delayed the traditional unfurling of their Premiership flag at the start of the season for the match.

Truscott was made Captain for the game against Richmond and wore No.1 on his jumper instead of his usual No.5.

Prior to the match, John Wren, one of the country's most notorious racketeers, gifted Truscott with a cheque for £1,000 to share with Paddy Finucane.

The money was subsequently not accepted due to King's Regulations prohibiting such gifts.

Truscott worked as a teacher before becoming a clerk at Vestey Group business W.Angliss & Co., where he had also secured a job for his old friend from Melbourne High School Old Boys Association and Lord Somers Camp, Stan Bisset.

Bisset and Truscott both agreed to enlist while sharing a beer after work one Friday night.

Bisset later recalled that he and Truscott were thinking deeply about the war and that people were giving up everything to participate; they had an intense patriotic feeling towards Britain and decided that it was up to them to not to wait for the enemy to come but rather to fight where they had a better chance of winning, "and so that's what we did".

He was killed in a joint Australian–US training exercise off the coast of Western Australia in March 1943, aged 26.

Truscott was awarded his Wings after completing flight training in Canada under the Australia and the Empire Air Training Scheme graduating 8th from a Class of 52 and passing with Distinction.