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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. Keller was educated at Radley College, entering in 1909. He served in the British Army during World War I, enlisting in September 1914 as a second lieutenant in the Hampshire Regiment. In April 1917, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He served the latter part of the war in the Machine Gun Corps, and remained in the corps after its conclusion.

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. 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. Having fulfilled the role of Assistant Instructor at the Tank Gun School, Keller relinquished this position in January 1929.

While serving in British India, Keller made his debut in first-class cricket for the Europeans against the Muslims at Lahore in March 1929. 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. He became a major in April 1935.

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

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. 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

1. ^ "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. ^ "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.

External links

• Reginald Keller at ESPNcricinfo
• Generals of World War II

• 1894 births
• 1986 deaths
• People from Fareham
• People educated at Radley College
• British Army brigadiers of World War II
• Royal Hampshire Regiment officers
• Machine Gun Corps officers
• Royal Tank Regiment officers
• English cricketers
• Dorset cricketers
• Europeans cricketers
• English expatriates in Ireland
• Military personnel from Hampshire
• Cricketers from Hampshire
• 20th-century English sportsmen