Chris Keeble

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colonel Christopher P. B. Keeble, DSO, was an officer in the British Army, most noted for his service in the Falklands War of 1982.

During the Battle of Goose Green, he inherited command of the 2nd Battalion of The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) when Lieutenant-Colonel H. Jones was killed in action. Keeble( Who held the Rank of Major at the time), a devout Christian, took over command of the battalion at a stage where one in six of his men were killed or wounded, they were largely out of ammunition, had been without sleep for 40 hours and were vulnerable to a counter-attack. After kneeling alone in prayer amongst the burning gorse he took the actions which brought the battle to a successful conclusion (interview in video "Command and the Christian Faith", published by the Armed Forces Christian Union) and he accepted the surrender of the Argentine forces at Goose Green on 29 May.

After the battle, despite sentiment among the soldiers of 2 PARA for him to remain in command, he was superseded by Lieutenant-Colonel David Robert Chaundler, who was flown in from Britain to take command of the battalion. After the war, Keeble was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order. He ended his military career as a colonel.

Chris Keeble turned a near disaster into victory. And did so in as humane a fashion as could be in a bloody infantry scrap. For further information see "2 Para's Battle for Darwin Hill and Goose Green" ISBN 0-9660717-1-9 by David J. Kenney. Oak Square Press April 2006; also "Not Mentioned in Dispatches" ISBN 0-7188-3016-4.