AA37711 SE5a Biplane - RAF No 74Sqn - Maj. Keith Logan Caldwell

SE5a, Maj. Keith Logan Caldwell, RAF No 74Sqn, Clairmarais, France, September 1918 

Already celebrated as a brave and tenacious pilot, New Zealander Keith Caldwell would surpass his own high standards of incredible airmanship when his fighter was involved in a mid-air collision in September 1918. With his aircraft damaged and spinning earthwards, Caldwell climbed out to stand on the wing of the fighter, where he attempted to pull the wing and strut closer together. 

At the same time, he kept his other foot on the rudder peddle and attempted to bring the aircraft under some control. Miraculously, the aircraft started to respond, but continued dropping at an alarming rate, however, it was now something of a controlled fall. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to affect a controlled crash landing, Caldwell brought the stricken fighter in low over Allied lines, jumping clear of the aircraft just seconds before it struck the ground and disintegrated. 

Allied troops watching on could hardly believe what they had witnessed, and later recounted how as the SE5a smashed into the ground, Caldwell picked himself up, dusted himself down and calmly strolled towards Allied positions. For most men, having survived such an incident, they would have taken this opportunity to use their rank and take a desk job for the rest of the war, but that wasn’t Keith Caldwell’s style. He was straight back to his squadron and back flying operational patrols, once he’d been checked out by station doctors.