Reginald Keller
English cricketer and British Army officer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brigadier Reginald Charles Keller (5 August 1894 – 30 October 1986) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.
Reginald Charles Keller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 August 1894 Fareham, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 30 October 1986 (aged 92) Ballylickey, Munster, Ireland |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Service years | 1914–1948 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Service number | 15767 |
| Unit | Hampshire Regiment Machine Gun Corps Tanks Corps |
| Commands | 3rd Royal Tank Regiment |
| Conflicts | First World War Second World War |
| Cricket information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Batting | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1928/29–1929/30 | Europeans (India) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1926–1928 | Dorset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 5 October 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life and First World War
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
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.