A SECOND world war veteran and well-known Isle of Wight resident has died, aged 101.
Ken Killeen was well known to many Islanders; particularly to his students at the Isle of Wight Technical College.
You may also have seen him shopping in Newport, latterly on his mobility scooter, and at numerous remembrance parades.
He was also the first person on the Isle of Wight to receive a Covid-19 vaccination.
Ken was born on September 11, 1922, in the Castle and Banner pub at the top of Hunnyhill as the eldest son of Grace and James Killeen.
The family moved to South Tottenham, London, when Ken was eight years old.
His parents ran a grocers and Ken was awarded a scholarship at Dame Alice Owen’s School, in Islington.
In 1938, Ken and his family moved back to the Island and settled at Fairlee, where his father and uncle built adjacent houses.
His first job was at Morey’s timber yard on Trafalgar Road, but he went on to work as a clerk for the county council and trained as a government officer in 1939.
When war broke out, Ken volunteered with the ARP Service, and continued to do so until his call-up in 1942.
He volunteered to fly with the Royal Air Force, trained as a navigator, and was assigned to 115 Squadron, based at RAF Witchford, Lincolnshire.
He completed a full tour of 30 operations between May and August, 1944, on Lancaster bombers.
During this time, his squadron flew to Normandy in the early hours of June 6
He spent the remainder of his three years with the RAF at bases around the UK, Belgium, France and Germany.
In 1946, Ken resumed his position in the education department at county hall, where he remained until 1955.
He married Beryl in 1952. She worked at Eldridge’s Solicitors and the couple had two sons, Ian and Robert.
They spent 35 years living at Medina Avenue in Newport, then 22 years at Grange Drive.
In 2015, the couple moved to Somers Brook Court.
They became grandparents to Simon and Megan, step grandparents to Rowan, and great-grandparents to Eddie, Max, Patrick and Georgie.
Ken’s career changed direction in 1955 when he was appointed registrar at the Isle of Wight Technical College; a position he held until his retirement in 1982.
Ken and Beryl enjoyed travelling, especially to Australia, where Ken’s brother Roy and younger son Robert had emigrated.
Ken had many interests, and particularly enjoyed gardening, philately and family history.
He was a life-long stamp collector with specialist knowledge of Isle of Wight and Australian postal history.
He was a long-time contributor to the Vectis and British Australian Philatelic Societies.
He also became very interested in family history and undertook extensive research to construct family trees, and to work with regimental archives on the military careers of his forebears.
Beryl and Ken were delighted to celebrate their diamond wedding in 2012.
They had been married for 66 years when Beryl died in December 2018.
Ken had always been determined to make it to 100; a milestone he reached in 2022.
He duly received his card from the Queen – one of the very last to be sent.
The following week, the County Press and ITV went to Somers Brook to hear his wartime stories and his memories of the Queen who died a few days before his 100th birthday.
Ken was the founding secretary in 1987 of the Isle of Wight branch of the Air Crew Association.
Most members were aircrew from the Second World War and Ken reconnected with his old squadron.
He also participated in Project Propellor, wherein private pilots took veterans out for a flight each year.
He was awarded the Bomber Command Clasp in 2013.
In 2015, he was proud to be appointed by the president of France to the rank of Chevallier in the Ordre national de le Legion d’honneur.
He moved into the permanent care of Autumn House in Sandown, where he died on May 7.
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