Date of Death Died 04 April 1943

Age 29 years old

Buried or commemorated at SLIMBRIDGE (ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST) CHURCHYARD

Births Dec 1913 (>99%)
Keedwell John Cox Axbridge 5c 745

John Keedwell was the son of Thomas Keedwell and Janet Cox, John was born on 2 October 1913 in Axbridge, Weston Super Mare, Somerset.

John's first career was as a journalist with the Bristol World before he joined the police force, initially in Norwich and latterly in Bath.
However, his interest in aviation led him to taking flying lessons and gaining his civil pilot's licence while still serving in the police force. The Western Daily Press and Bristol Mirror of Friday 29 January 1937 records him joining the Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club as a new pilot member. Later in February the same newspaper speculates that as John has received permission from his Chief Constable to take up flying it might one day see Bath police controlling race-meeting traffic from the air.

John joined the RAF and undertook his basic flying training in Canada. He went on to join 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit based at Ricall airfield near York where he was trained to fly Halifax bombers. He joined 158 Squadron at RAF Lissett on 14 March 1943 along with the six men who were to form his crew. Two weeks later the crew flew their first operational mission to St Nazaire. On 3 April 1943 they were detailed to attack Essen on their second operational mission and took off from Lissett airfield at 19:40 in Halifax HR754; the third operational sortie for the aircraft. They pressed home the attack and returned home. For unknown reasons the aircraft flew very low and overshot its approach to the airfield and crashed at 00:48 in the morning of the 4th between Stud Farm and Wassand Hall, located east of the village of Sigglesthorne, 3 miles WSW of Hornsea in Yorkshire. John and three of his crew members were killed, two were injured and only Flight Sergeant Leonard Froud, the rear gunner, escaped unscathed.

John is commemorated in four places, the City of Bath Police Memorial on the ground floor of Bath Police Station in Manvers Street, Bath, the main Bath memorial, the 158 Squadron memorial at Lissett and in the church of St Mary the Virgin in Berkeley. He is buried in the churchyard of St John's Church Slimbridge

Deaths Mar 1967 (>99%)
Keedwell Beatrice M 58 Gloucester C. 7b 403

Births Jun 1944 (>99%)
Keedwell John Lewis Bristol 6a 373

Marriages Jun 1940 (>99%)
Keedwell Lionel T Lewis Bristol 6a 155
Lewis Beatrice M Keedwell Bristol 6a 155

Deaths Dec 1954 (>99%) ?
Keedwell Thomas 76 Thornbury 7b 577

Edith E dies 1940 recorded Thornbury Reg off

1939 Berkley Arms Inn Purton
Thomas Kudwell 30 Sep 1878 Male Innkeeper & Farmer Married 89 1
Edith E Kudwell 18 Oct 1890 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 89 2
Lionel T Kudwell 24 Jan 1919 Male Farmer & Cider Manufacturer Single 89 3

Marriages Jun 1931 (>99%)
Baker Edith E Axbridge 5c 1139
Keedwell Thomas Axbridge 5c 1139

Deaths Sep 1930 (>99%) ?
Keedwell Janet 49 Bristol 6a 43

Births Dec 1913 (>99%)
Keedwell John Cox Axbridge 5c 745
Births Mar 1917 (>99%)
Keedwell Lioniel T Cox Axbridge 5c 633

Marriages Dec 1912 (>99%)
Cox Janet Keedwell Dursley 6a 586
KEEDWELL Thomas Cox Dursley 6a 586

1911 Morrend Slimbridge
Robert Cox Head Single Male 40 1871 Farmer Berkeley Glos
Janet Cox Niece Single Female 28 1883 Dairy work Berkeley Glos
Arthur Jones Nephew Single Male 35 1876 Working on farm Berkeley Glos
Percy Jones Nephew Single Male 28 1883 Working on farm Berkeley Glos

1901 Moorend Slimbridge
Robert Cox Head Single Male 33 1868 Farmer Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England
Anna M Cox Sister Single Female 35 1866 - Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England
Janet Cox Niece Single Female 17 1884 - Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England
Arthur Jones Nephew Single Male 27 1874 Farmer's son Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England

1891 Moor End Slimbridge
Robert Cox Head Single Male 23 1868 Farmer & colt breaker Berkley, Gloucestershire, England
Maria Cox Sister Single Female 25 1866 Housekeeper Berkley, Gloucestershire, England
Janet Cox Niece - Female 8 1883 - Berkley, Gloucestershire, England
Arthur Jones Nephew Single Male 17 1874 - Berkley, Gloucestershire, England

1911 Sand Bay Farm
John Keedwell Head Married Male 68 1843 Farming Long Ashlon Somst
Martha Keedwell Wife Married Female 65 1846 - Weston Zoyland Somst
James Keedwell Son Single Male 33 1878 Farming Kewstoke Somerset
Frances Annie Keedwell Daughter Single Female 29 1882 Dairy worker Kenstoke Somerset
Elizabeth Ada Keedwell Daughter Single Female 25 1886 Home work Kenstoke Somerset

1901 Sand, Kewstoke, Axbridge
John Keedwell Head Married Male 58 1843 Farmer Long Ashton, Somerset, England
Martha Keedwell Wife Married Female 52 1849 - Somerset, England
James Keedwell Son Single Male 23 1878 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Thomas Keedwell Son Single Male 22 1879 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Frances A Keedwell Daughter Single Female 19 1882 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Elizabeth A Keedwell Daughter Single Female 15 1886 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England

1891 Sands, Kewstoke, Axbridge
John Keedwell Head Married Male 48 1843 Farmer Long Ashton, Somerset, England
Martha Keedwell Wife - Female 44 1847 - Somerset, England
Mary Ella Keedwell Daughter Single Female 16 1875 Scholar Kewstoke, Somerset, England
James Ella Son Single Male 13 1878 Scholar Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Thomas Ella Son Single Male 12 1879 Scholar Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Frances A Ella Daughter Single Female 9 1882 Scholar Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Elizabeth A Ella Daughter Single Female 5 1886 Scholar Kewstoke, Somerset, England

1881 Sand Bay, Kewstoke, Axbridge
John Keedwell Head Married Male 38 1843 Farmer (of 104 acres employing 1 man & 1 boy) Long Ashton, Somerset, England
Martha Keedwell Wife Married Female 35 1846 - Westonzoyland, Somerset, England
Mary E Keedwell Daughter Single Female 6 1875 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England
James Keedwell Son Single Male 3 1878 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England
Thomas Keedwell Son Single Male 2 1879 - Kewstoke, Somerset, England

1851 Aylburton
Charles Keedwell Head Married Male 63 1788 Farmer 7 acres Chew Magna, Somerset, England
Mary Keedwell Wife Married Female 68 1783 - Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England

1861 Alvington
Charles Keedwell Head Married Male 74 1787 Retired farmer Somerset, England
Mary Keedwell Wife Married Female 76 1785 - Gloucestershire, England
Mary J Ducker Daughter Married Female 35 1826 - Monmouthshire, Wales
Julia E M Ducker Granddaughter Unmarried Female 7 1854 - Alvington, Gloucestershire, England

Year: 1867
Month: Jul
Day: 20
Surname: KEEDWELL
Forenames: Charles
Residence: Monmouth
Age_at_death: 79
Officiating_Minister: Feilding Palmer
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P333/1 IN 1/17
Page_No: 38
Parish_Chapel: Tidenham