Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to offer my condolences to the family of Air Commodore Keith Parsons. I would like to recognise the service and bravery of this dedicated pilot and Air Force officer. He was born in the great Tasmanian town of Scottsdale—and I note in the gallery Paul Ranson, the manager of B&E, who is also a Scottsdale boy. Keith Parsons was born in 1914 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet in 1935. After learning to fly a Tiger Moth, he taught other pilots to fly both Tiger Moth and Liberator aircraft.

He saw combat as a commanding officer, and later wing commander, of No. 7 Squadron. His courage, hard work and devotion to duty saw him awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1944 Air Commodore Keith Parsons was posted to bomber command in the United Kingdom and flew over 100 combat missions in the European theatre in the Second World War. After the war he returned to Australia to take up various postings, such as air attache in Washington and commanding officer of the RAAF Butterworth base in Malaysia. In 1961 he was promoted to Air Commodore and he retired in 1969. Air Commodore Parsons passed away on 27 June, one day short of his 96th birthday. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the diligence, bravery, dedication and service of this remarkable Tasmanian. (Time expired)