Chris Keeble
| Chris Keeble | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 November 1941 Quetta, British India |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1963 - 1987 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit |
Royal Leicestershire Regiment Royal Anglian Regiment Parachute Regiment |
| Commands held | 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order |
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Patrick Benedict Keeble, DSO, FCMI (born 14 November 1941) is a retired officer in the British Army, most noted for his service in the Falklands War of 1982.
Keeble was born in Quetta, British India. He was educated at the Benedictine Douai School (for both prep school at Ditcham Park and the senior school) and at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
In February 1964 Keeble was commissioned into the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, which amalgamated into The Royal Anglian Regiment just seven months later. He joined the Parachute Regiment in 1972 and was promoted to major in 1975. 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. A devout Catholic, Keeble, then a major, 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 ordered his men to withdraw and released several Argentine prisoners of war with a message to the Argentines to surrender or risk more casualties. The offer was accepted and Keeble, accompanied by his artillery officer and veteran BBC journalist Robert Fox, approached his Argentine counterpart Lieutenant Colonel Ítalo Piaggi to negotiate a ceasefire. On 29 May he accepted the peaceful surrender of the Argentine forces at Goose Green.
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Wikipedia