Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1951 Lucky Bag:

Peter Brabson Mackeith

His name could be Gaelic for fish . . . first saw the light of day in the “Hub of the Universe” . . . and has been extolling the wonders of New Jersey ever since . . . part fish . . . part bear . . . he can usually be found either in the pool or in his sack … he likes to relax by listening to semi-classical music or by playing jaw-breaking games of water polo . . . friendly and coolheaded . . . he has yet to face the horrors of dragging two OAO’s at the same time . . . he’s fortunate . . . a life in the service . . . sports and fun all figure in this Scotsman’s future … it without a doubt will be an enjoyable and successful one.

Loss

Peter was lost on May 26, 1953 when the F6F Hellcat (bureau number 94388) he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 50 miles west of Key West, Florida.

Other Information

From The Palm Beach Post:

KEY WEST, May 26 (UP) A Navy student pilot was killed in a routine training flight today when his Hellcat fighter crashed into the Atlantic, 50 miles west of here. Navy authorities identified the victim as Lt. Peter B. MacKeith, of Plainfield, N.J., 25. Neither the pilot nor the plane was recovered. An investigation team said Peters apparently lost control of the plane and crashed Into the water from 9,000 feet.

Unable to determine which squadron he was a member of.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Peter graduated from West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, and attended the Newark College of Engineering for 18 months. He received his pilot’s commission at Pensacola in 1952. To complete his aircraft carrier qualifications, he successfully landed his SNJ “Texan” trainer six times aboard the USS Cabot, cruising in the Gulf of Mexico. In November he was interviewed by the Cabaniss Field radio station CAB in Corpus Christi, Texas. He then went to the Navy Air Station in Kingsville, Texas. When he received his wings, his wife pinned them on him.

Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Frederick A. Palmer, former pastor of the Sanford Heights Presbyterian Church, Irvington, New Jersey. He was buried in Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover.

He was survived by his wife, the former Ann Vanderhoff, his 6-week-old daughter Ellen, mother Olive (Mrs. Leon Chauncey Lewan,) and a brother Francis. His father Peter was born in Scotland in July 1988, naturalized in 1912, and served in World War I as a 1st lieutenant. He then was a plan examiner for the City of Newark and died in October 1949.

Peter has a memorial marker in New Jersey.

Photographs

From The Courier News on May 27, 1953

From The Corpus Christi Caller Times on November 17, 1952

From The Miami Herald on May 28, 1953