Keith MacDermott Hampshire, DSO & Bar, DFC[1] (10 September 1914 – c. 17 November 1982) was a pilot and ace of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the Second World War.

The family moved to Perth, Western Australia (WA), where Percy Hampshire took up a position as State Dairy Expert and later became a cattle breeder.

On 14 December 1942, Hampshire led a formation of Boston aircraft whose mission was to locate and attack an attempted enemy landing in the vicinity of Buna.

Foul weather caused the formation to separate but at 0520 hours Wing Commander Hampshire, flying alone, located five Japanese Destroyers disembarking troops and equipment approximately 20 miles North-East of Cape Ward-Hunt.

The accuracy of both bombing and strafing wrought havoc amidst the landing operations and as a result of his location of the enemy vessels, a heavy Squadron was able to attack shortly afterwards.

Again extremely bad weather was encountered and it was only by the sheer grit and determination of Wing Commander Hampshire that the formation was led to the target.

Whilst leading the formation into line for the run over the target, intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered which struck his aircraft and wounded him in the leg.

Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Group Captain Hampshire has led [456] Squadron on very many sorties during which 32 enemy aircraft have been destroyed.

On the morning of 5 March 1943, to hinder Japanese air support, Hampshire led six Bostons in an attack on the major airbase at Lae.

In the words of Nelson, Hampshire proved to be a "demanding leader who enforced the division between the officers and non-commissioned aircrew... drove the squadron hard, and [ensured] it was well prepared for front-line duties.

[2] In March 1944, in response to Unternehmnen Steinbock ("Operation Ibex"), a German Luftwaffe intruder offensive against targets in southern England, 456 Sqn relocated to RAF Ford, in Sussex.

According to aviation historian Martin W. Bowman,[6] Hampshire and his navigator, Flt Lt Tom Condon most often flew Mosquito HK286 (squadron code "RX-A").

The pair experienced great success in this aircraft, starting with two Ju 88s shot down on [the night of] 27/28 February 1944 off the south-west coast [of England].

Near Le Havre on D-Day + 1 (7 June 1944), 456 Sqn intercepted a formation of four-engined Heinkel He 177 heavy bombers, belonging to KG 40, each armed with two glide bombs, approaching the Allied beachheads.

[2] The parallel military careers of the brothers attracted publicity, as did their recreational interests, including participation in a surf carnival reputed to be the first held in England.

At around this time, Australian official war artist William Dargie made Hampshire the subject of a portrait (later acquired by the Royal Air Force Museum).

[2][3] Nelson said of Hampshire's post-war life, that his "confidence, even arrogance, in decision-making, his courage, skill, competitiveness and acceptance of the loneliness of command that had served him well in the air war did not transfer easily into business.

Hampshire worked for the British Aviation Insurance Group in Australia and Asia, as well as fields such as farming, oil exploration, aircraft sales and importing.