Battle of Britain London Monument – P/O K R Gillman 
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN LONDON MONUMENT 
"Never in the field of human
conflict was so much owed
by so many to so few." 
Contact Information How to Contribute Latest News Home 
About The Monument
– History of the Project
– The Monument Now
– Visitor Information
– Airmens names listed by country of origin
Airmens stories
Privacy Statement The Airmen’s Stories – P/O K R Gillman
Keith Reginald Gillman was born in Dover on 16th December 1920 and attended the County School there from 1933 to 1938. He joined the RAF on a short service commission in March 1939 and began his flying training at 22 E&RFTS Cambridge. On 10th June Gillman was posted to 15 FTS Lossiemouth, was awarded his flying badge on 6th October and went to the 11 Group Pool at St. Athan on 20th November 1939.
After converting to Hurricanes he was transferred to 2 Ferry Pilot Pool on 21st December 1939 as a reserve for France. Gillman was attached to RAF Manby for No. 1 Air Armament course on 1st January 1940. On completion of the course he joined 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill on 10th May. He flew his first operational sortie on 7th June, escorting Blenheims to Abbeville.
Above: pilots of ‘B’ Flight, No. 32 Squadron relax on the grass at Hawkinge in front of Hurricane P3522
L to R : F/O RF Smythe, P/O JE Proctor, P/O KR Gillman, F/Lt. PM Brothers, F/O PM Gardner, F/O DH Grice and F/O AF Eckford.
Above: Gillman was the subject of a LIFE magazine cover, published a short while after his loss.
On 19th July Gillman claimed a Me109 destroyed. He did not return from a combat over the Channel off Dover on 25th August 1940 and was reported ‘Missing’. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 8.
Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner
Battle of Britain Monument © Battle of Britain Archive 2007 – Email: info@bbm.org.uk Site management by Consult-X and Altroy