Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes
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| Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes | |
|---|---|
| May 18, 1917 - November 18, 1941 | |
| Place of birth | Aberdour, Fife, Scotland |
| Place of death | Beda Littoria, Libya |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Scots Greys, British Army |
| Years of service | 1937 - death |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Unit | 11 Commando |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | [1]Victoria Cross (19 June 1942, posthumously) Military Cross Croix de Guerre |
Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes, VC, MC, CdeG (May 18, 1917 - November 18, 1941) was awarded the Victoria Cross during World War II. At the time he was the youngest lieutenant colonel in the British Army.
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[edit] Family
Keyes was the oldest son of Admiral of the Fleet Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes, a British naval hero in World War I and the first Director of Combined Operations during World War II. He attended Kingsmead School in Seaford, Sussex and the Royal Military College.
Keyes was a member of the MCC.[2]
[edit] Early actions
Geoffrey Keyes was commissioned into the Royal Scots Greys. He saw action at Narvik[3] and was later attached to No.11 Commando, which was sent to the Middle East as part of Layforce.
Following the allied invasion of Syria on June 8, 1941, No.11 Commando were sent to successfully lead the crossing of the Litani River in Lebanon, fighting against troops of the French Vichy régime, during which Keyes played a leading part. In this operation, Keyes won the Military Cross.[4]
[edit] Operation Flipper
In October / November 1941 a plan was formulated at 8th Army headquarters to attack various objectives behind enemy lines, including headquarters, base installations and communications facilities. This was intended to disrupt enemy organisation before the start of Operation Crusader.
The operation, codenamed "Flipper" was led by Lt.Col.Robert Laycock. Keyes, who had been present throughout the planning stage, deliberately selected the most hazardous task for himself: the assault on the Headquarters of Rommel's Afrika Corps, near Beda Littoria, some miles inland from Apollonia. One of the objectives was to kill Rommel himself.
On the night of 17/18 November 1941, Keyes' detachment of 30 men landed from submarine some 250 miles behind enemy lines but most of the boats were swamped in the passage to the beach, with some men drowned. Those who did reach land sheltered in a cave, drying out by a fire. Shortly before first light they moved to a wadi where they sheltered during daylight. After dark on the second night, the detachment moved off but their Arab guide refused to accompany the party in the, by now, deteriorating weather. Keyes then led his men up a 1,800 foot climb followed by an approach march of 18 miles, in pitch darkness and torrential rain. Hiding during daylight, the detachment advanced to within a few hundred yards of the objective by 10pm on the fourth night. With the depletion of his force to seven, through losses whilst coming ashore and stragglers on the approach march, and with information obtained from local Arabs, Keyes modified his original plan. He detailed most of his men to take up positions to block enemy interference and took just one officer, Captain Campbell, and one NCO, Sergeant Terry, with him.
At 11:59pm, Keyes led his party past sentries and other defences and up to the house. Unable to find an open window or door, Keyes used Campbell's excellent German, by having him pound on the front door demanding entrance. The sentry who opened the door was set upon by Keyes and Campbell, but Campbell was obliged to shoot him. The noise alerted the other German occupants to their presence. Speed was now essential, Rogers was posted at the foot of the stairs, to prevent interference from the first floor, whilst Keyes and Campbell set about clearing the rooms on the ground floor. During this clearance, Keyes was fatally wounded. Campbell and Terry carried him outside where he died a few minutes later. He was buried with full military honours, on Rommel's orders.
It was later discovered that Rommel himself had not been at the headquarters, having left the house two weeks previously.
For his actions, Keyes was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
[edit] Further information
His grave is in Benghazi War Cemetery in Libya. He is remembered on the Kingsmead School War memorial in Seaford, Sussex and also in the parish church in the village of Tingewick in Buckinghamshire, home of the Keyes family.
[edit] References
- ^ British officers, WWII
- ^ World War Rolls of Honour at Lord's. MCC (6 November 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ Keyes v. Rommel. Time Magazine (Jan 12, 1942). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ Keyes v. Rommel. Time Magazine (Jan 12, 1942). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- Combined Operations - Operation Flipper
- British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
[edit] Reading list
- Keyes, Elizabeth. Geoffrey Keyes, V.C., M.C., Croix de Guerre, Royal Scots Greys, lieut.-colonel, 11th Scottish Commando (London : G. Newnes, [1956])
[edit] External links
- Lieutenant Colonel G.C.T. Keyes in The Art of War exhibition at the UK National Archives
- Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes at Find A Grave
