Born: 21st August 1927
Story
Keith was the son of George Bedford (1897-1955) and Lucy Horsman (1902-1986) who married in New Wortley on 20th December 1924. They initially lived at Temperance Terrace, Oulton, later renamed Claremont Street, and then came to 13 Ramsden Avenue, Kippax. Keith joined the Royal Navy late in the War, and served in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Whilst serving on HMS Flying Fish, a Minesweeper, he spend Christmas 1946 with fellow villagers and old class mates, Frank Hick, William Goodall, Ralph Carroll and Jack Mills.
After the War, in 1949, HMS Flying Fish, pictured below, was given to Ceylon on indefinite loan, and was renamed HMCyS Vijaya. The ship became the training platform for the new Sri Lankan navy and began undertaking anti-smuggling and anti-illicit immigration patrols in coastal waters. Thereafter it undertook cruises to the Maldives and Burma. In 1952 she sailed to Britain to represent the Royal Ceylon Navy at the fleet review on the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Vijaya was sunk in a strong storm in the Gulf of Mannar, and scrapped in 1975.
Kippax Roll of Honour 