Reginald Keller
{{short description|English cricketer and British Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Reginald Charles Keller
|image=
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|nickname=
|birth_date = 5 August 1894
|birth_place = Fareham, Hampshire, England
|death_date = 30 October 1986 (aged 92)
|death_place = Ballylickey, Munster, Ireland
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= British Army
|serviceyears= 1914–1948
|servicenumber= 15767
|rank= Brigadier
|unit= Hampshire Regiment
Machine Gun Corps
Tanks Corps
|commands= 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
|battles= First World War
Second World War
|awards=
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name =
| image =
| country =
| fullname =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nickname =
| family =
| batting = Unknown
| bowling = Unknown
| role =
| club1 = Europeans (India)
| year1 = 1928/29–1929/30
| club2 = Dorset
| year2 = 1926–1928
| columns = 1
| column1 = First-class
| matches1 = 3
| runs1 = 47
| bat avg1 = 11.75
| 100s/50s1 = –/–
| top score1 = 25
| deliveries1 = 348
| wickets1 = 9
| bowl avg1 = 19.11
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = 5/50
| catches/stumpings1 = 1/–
| date = 5 October
| year = 2018
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/30252.html Cricinfo
}}
Brigadier Reginald Charles Keller (5 August 1894 – 30 October 1986) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.
Early life and First World War
The son of Charles Keller, he was born at Fareham, Hampshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p62393.htm#i623922 |title=Profile: Reginald Charles Keller |publisher=thepeerage.com |accessdate=5 October 2018}} Keller was educated at Radley College, entering in 1909.{{cite web|url=https://www.radleyarchives.co.uk/people/2350-reginald-charles-keller-1909-1909 |title=Reginald Charles Keller (1909) |publisher=Radley College |accessdate=5 October 2018}} He served in the British Army during World War I, enlisting in September 1914 as a second lieutenant in the Hampshire Regiment.{{London Gazette |issue=28886|date=1 September 1941 |page=6911}} In April 1917, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.{{London Gazette |issue=30022|date=17 April 1917 |page=3611}} He served the latter part of the war in the Machine Gun Corps,{{London Gazette |issue=30511|date=6 February 1918 |page=1718 |supplement=y}} and remained in the corps after its conclusion.{{London Gazette |issue=31835|date=24 March 1920 |page=3621 |supplement=y}}
Cricket, WWII and later life
He joined the Tanks Corps (later the Royal Tank Regiment) in April 1921, by this point holding the rank of captain.{{London Gazette |issue=32758|date=24 October 1922 |page=7461 |supplement=y}} He married Maureen Standish Harrison in March 1922, with the couple having a daughter in 1926. He made his debut in minor counties cricket for Dorset in 1926, with Keller playing in the Minor Counties Championship six times from 1926–1928.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13815/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html |title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Reginald Keller |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=5 October 2018}} Having fulfilled the role of Assistant Instructor at the Tank Gun School, Keller relinquished this position in January 1929.{{London Gazette |issue=33462|date=1 February 1929 |page=770}}
While serving in British India, Keller made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans against the Muslims at Lahore in March 1929.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13815/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Reginald Keller |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=5 October 2018}} He played two further first-class matches in 1930, playing for the Europeans against the Muslim, and for a Punjab Governor's XI against the Muslims. In the 1930 Europeans v Muslims match, Keller took his career best bowling figures, taking 5/50 from 21 overs.{{cite book|last=McCrery|first=Nigel|title=The Coming Storm: Test and First-Class Cricketers Killed in World War Two|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RYQwDwAAQBAJ&q=Richard+Geoffrey+Tindall&pg=PA87|date=30 November 2017|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781526706980}} He became a major in April 1935.{{London Gazette |issue=34153|date=23 April 1935 |page=2739}}
Weeks into World War II, Keller was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1939.{{London Gazette |issue=34728|date=7 November 1939 |page=7599 |supplement=y}} In May 1940 he commanded 3rd Royal Tank Regiment during the defence of Calais in support of the Dunkirk evacuation,{{cite book|last=Buckton|first=Henry|title=Cover art Retreat: Dunkirk and the Evacuation of Western Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p5ckDwAAQBAJ&q=brigadier+reginald+keller&pg=PT125|date=15 May 2017|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|isbn=9781445664835|page=125}} and later commanded tanks in North Africa.{{cite web|url=http://www.generals.dk/general/Keller/Reginald_Charles/Great_Britain.html |title=Keller, Reginald Charles |publisher=generals.dk |accessdate=5 October 2018}}
He retired from active service in March 1948, after a military career spanning almost thirty-four years, at which time he was granted the honorary rank of brigadier.{{London Gazette |issue=38245|date=23 March 1948 |page=2063 |supplement=y}} He later moved to Ireland, where he lived out his final years at Ballylickey in County Cork, passing away there in October 1986, at the age of 92.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cricinfo|id=30252}}
- [https://generals.dk/general/Keller/Reginald_Charles/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keller, Reginald}}
Category:People educated at Radley College
Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II
Category:Royal Hampshire Regiment officers
Category:Machine Gun Corps officers
Category:Royal Tank Regiment officers
Category:English expatriates in Ireland
Category:Military personnel from Hampshire