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Reginald Keller

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Reginald Charles Keller
Born5 August 1894
Fareham, Hampshire, England
Died30 October 1986 (aged 92)
Ballylickey, Munster, Ireland
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1914–1948
RankBrigadier
Service number15767
UnitHampshire Regiment
Machine Gun Corps
Tanks Corps
Commands3rd Royal Tank Regiment
Battles / warsFirst World War
Second World War
Reginald Keller
Cricket information
BattingUnknown
BowlingUnknown
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1928/29–1929/30Europeans (India)
1926–1928Dorset
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 3
Runs scored 47
Batting average 11.75
100s/50s –/–
Top score 25
Balls bowled 348
Wickets 9
Bowling average 19.11
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling 5/50
Catches/stumpings 1/–
Source: Cricinfo, 5 October 2018

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

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The son of Charles Keller, he was born at Fareham, Hampshire.[1] Keller was educated at Radley College, entering in 1909.[2] He served in the British Army during World War I, enlisting in September 1914 as a second lieutenant in the Hampshire Regiment.[3] In April 1917, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.[4] He served the latter part of the war in the Machine Gun Corps,[5] and remained in the corps after its conclusion.[6]

Cricket, WWII and later life

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He joined the Tanks Corps (later the Royal Tank Regiment) in April 1921, by this point holding the rank of captain.[7] He married Maureen Standish Harrison in March 1922, with the couple having a daughter in 1926.[1] 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.[8] Having fulfilled the role of Assistant Instructor at the Tank Gun School, Keller relinquished this position in January 1929.[9]

While serving in British India, Keller made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans against the Muslims at Lahore in March 1929.[10] 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.[10] In the 1930 Europeans v Muslims match, Keller took his career best bowling figures, taking 5/50 from 21 overs.[11] He became a major in April 1935.[12]

Weeks into World War II, Keller was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1939.[13] In May 1940 he commanded 3rd Royal Tank Regiment during the defence of Calais in support of the Dunkirk evacuation,[14] and later commanded tanks in North Africa.[15]

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.[16] He later moved to Ireland, where he lived out his final years at Ballylickey in County Cork,[1] passing away there in October 1986, at the age of 92.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Profile: Reginald Charles Keller". thepeerage.com. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Reginald Charles Keller (1909)". Radley College. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  3. ^ "No. 28886". The London Gazette. 1 September 1941. p. 6911.
  4. ^ "No. 30022". The London Gazette. 17 April 1917. p. 3611.
  5. ^ "No. 30511". The London Gazette. 6 February 1918. p. 1718.
  6. ^ "No. 31835". The London Gazette. 24 March 1920. p. 3621.
  7. ^ "No. 32758". The London Gazette. 24 October 1922. p. 7461.
  8. ^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Reginald Keller". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  9. ^ "No. 33462". The London Gazette. 1 February 1929. p. 770.
  10. ^ a b "First-Class Matches played by Reginald Keller". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  11. ^ McCrery, Nigel (30 November 2017). The Coming Storm: Test and First-Class Cricketers Killed in World War Two. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781526706980.
  12. ^ "No. 34153". The London Gazette. 23 April 1935. p. 2739.
  13. ^ "No. 34728". The London Gazette. 7 November 1939. p. 7599.
  14. ^ Buckton, Henry (15 May 2017). Cover art Retreat: Dunkirk and the Evacuation of Western Europe. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 125. ISBN 9781445664835.
  15. ^ "Keller, Reginald Charles". generals.dk. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  16. ^ "No. 38245". The London Gazette. 23 March 1948. p. 2063.
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