Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes ( Events January - April January 2 - Brigham Young, is arrested for bigamy (25 wives). February 20 - In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens. March 1 - Yellowstone National Park is established as the worlds first national park March 5 - George Westinghouse patents the air brake. March 5 - The... 1872- 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 5 - The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland. January 7 - British General Bernard Montgomery holds a press conference in which he claims credit for victory in the Battle of... 1945) was a noted The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, UK or, inaccurately, as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent parts. Three of these parts... British admiral and hero, with a life of adventure stretching from African anti slavery patrols to Allied landings in Leyte in Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War II.

Early Days

The son of a famous hero father, Keyes was born on October 4th, 1872 at Tundiani Fort on the North West Frontier of India, where his father commanded the Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 The Punjab (sometimes spelt Panjab) is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. Once a single entity, it is now split between two nations: see Punjab, India and Punjab, Pakistan. Punjab, India covers an area of 50,362 square kilometres (19,445 square... Punjab Frontier force. He spent his first five years here, far from the sea. The family had been home in England for three years, when his father was given a new command in India. His parents decided to take the two youngest children with them, but to leave the five oldest in the care of an English country parson. He was treated kindly by the parson who introduced him to hunting and fishing. Soon he was sent to a prep school at Margate.

Sailor

The parson's brother was an admiral, and stories of the navy were prominent in the household. He wrote his parents of his desire to be a sailor. In 1884 his father, now General Sir Charles Keyes, retired and returned to England. After some discussion and, against his father's wishes, Roger was permitted to join the Royal Navy Ensign The Royal Navy is the navy of the United Kingdom. It operates a number of aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, fifteen nuclear submarines, and various other ships, as well as aircraft, and the UKs amphibious force: the Royal Marines. The Royal Navy is the largest navy in... Royal Navy.

Roger Keyes joined the training establishment, Seven vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Britannia, after Britannia, the goddess and later personification of Britain. The first Britannia was a 100-gun first-rate launched in 1682 and dismantled in 1715 for use in building the next Britannia. The second Britannia was a 100... HMS Britannia, in the autumn of 1884, at the age of 12.

Keyes was small and delicate in health, but had an iron will. He took up fencing and rackets, sailed whenever he could and was in the centre of every boyhood scrap.

Anti Slavery Patrol

In August 1887, Keyes was appointed to HMS Raleigh, a The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. In military terminology, a cruiser is a large warship capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously. Historically they were generally considered the smallest ships capable of independent operations — destroyers usually requiring outside support such as tenders — but in modern... cruiser which was flagship of the The Cape of Good Hope headland seen from the north 1888 Map of the Cape of Good Hope Triangular Postage Stamp The Cape of Good Hope is a headland in South Africa, near Cape Town, traditionally — and incorrectly — regarded as marking the turning point between the Atlantic Ocean... Cape of Good Hope and West Africa is the region of western Africa generally considered to include these countries: Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Côte dIvoire (Ivory Coast) Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Chad, Mauritania, and... West Africa Station. He reached Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope Cape Town (Afrikaans, Dutch: Kaapstad; Xhosa: eKapa or SaseKapa), is one of South Africas three capital cities serving as the legislative capital (executive capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital). It is also the capital of the Western Cape province. It is... Capetown on November 3rd and began his seagoing life. Raleigh was a full rigged sailing Sailing frigates were 4th, 5th, or 6th-rated ships in the rating system of the Royal Navy. In modern military terminology, a frigate is a warship intended to protect other warships and merchant marine ships and as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) combatants for amphibious expeditionary forces, underway replenishment groups, and... frigate of 5,200 tons with a propeller which could move her along a 6 knots. Under sail she could make up to 11 knots.

In 1890 Keyes transferred to HMS Turquoise, a A barque, sometimes spelled bark, originally referred to a particular type of ship-rigged sailing vessel with a plain bluff bow and a full stern with windows. HM Bark Endeavour, commanded by Captain James Cook was a famous example. By the end of the 18th century, however, the term came... barque rigged For the automobile, see Chevrolet Corvette. French steam corvette Dupleix (1856-1887) A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate. When referring to sailing ships, a corvette is a sloop-of-war. Almost all modern navies use ships smaller than frigates for coastal duty, but... corvette of 2,120 tons. The ship operated from Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar, Tanzania, comprises a pair of islands off the east coast of Africa called Zanzibar (Unguja) (1994 est. pop. 800,000, 1,554 km²) and Pemba. They are, together with Mafia Island, sometimes referred to as the Spice Islands, though the term is more... Zanzibar on slavery supression missions. There was much opportunity for action as small naval launches under junior officers were sent out for weeks at a time to patrol the coast, probing the estuaries and creeks where Arab slavers hid with their cargoes of young women and children, seized from coastal regions in Mozambique is a country in Southern Africa, bordering South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the Commonwealth of Nations. Its capital and largest city is Maputo, located in the southern edge of the country. National motto: n... Portuguese East Africa. Often gunfights ensued as the slavers tried to make their escape. He participated in the somewhat farcical 1890 expedition against the A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. The title carries moral weight and religious authority, as the rulers role was defined in the Quran. The sultan however was not a religious teacher himself. In the Byzantine Empire and... Sultan of Witu.

Around the World

Keyes went back to England on three months leave which he spent learning horsemanship, and taking up fox hunting.

Naval examinations followed, not Keyes's strongest suit. However he managed to scrape by.

During this time he was attached to various ships in the Channel Fleet, including a stint in the royal yacht HMS Victoria and Albert. He met Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. Her reign lasted more than sixty-three years—longer than... Queen Victoria and the future King George V King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Emperor of India His Majesty King George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert) (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the... King George V.

Then it was off to South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It became attached to North America only recently, geologically speaking, with the formation of the Isthmus of Panama... South America for service on For other RN ships of this name, see HMS Beagle (disambiguation). HMS Beagle was a Royal Navy ship, made famous for the second voyage she made (with Charles Darwin aboard). Beagle was launched 11 May 1820 as a 90 ft (27 m), 10 gun brig from the Woolwich Dockyard on... HMS Beagle. After this Keyes served on a training ship for new recruits. Afterwards he was given command of HMS Opossum, a new This article is about the warship. For other things called destroyer, see Destroyer (disambiguation). USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against... destroyer.

China

Keyes was then posted out to The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. China  listen? ( Traditional: 中國; Simplified: 中国; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo) is a nation located chiefly in continental East... China to command another destroyer, HMS Hart, soon transfering to a newer ship, HMS Fame.

In April 1899 he went to the rescue of a small British force which was attacked and surrounded by irregular Chinese forces while attempting to demarcate the border of the Hong Kong (香港; Cantonese IPA: ; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2; Yale: heūng góng; pinyin: Xiānggǎng; Wade-Giles: Hsiang-kang) is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the Peoples Republic of China. (The other one is Macau.) Administratively, the name Hong Kong... Hong Kong The New Territories (Chinese: 新界 Xin1jie4) is the area of land in Hong Kong, north of the Kowloon peninsula, south of Shenzhen He / Shum Chun River (深圳河) and Hong Kongs outlying islands (including Lantau Island, Lamma Island, Cheung Chau, and Peng Chau), leased from Qing China... New Territories. Keyes went ashore, leading half the landing party, and, while Fame fired on the beseigers, he led the charge which routed the Chinese and freed the troops.

This ilustrates a trait Keyes showed all through his life, forcing himself into the centre of any fighting , whenever or where ever it might be.

In those days, the Royal Navy's China Squadron used Hong Kong (香港; Cantonese IPA: ; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2; Yale: heūng góng; pinyin: Xiānggǎng; Wade-Giles: Hsiang-kang) is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the Peoples Republic of China. (The other one is Macau.) Administratively, the name Hong Kong... Hong Kong as a home port during the winter, but went north to Wei hai wei on the The Yellow Sea (in North and South Korea, it is also called the West Sea (strangely not disputed like East Sea) is the northern part of the East China Sea, which in turn is a part of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between Mainland China and the Korean peninsula... Yellow Sea during the warm summer months. Keyes was there in late May of 1900, cursing his luck for being in so out of the way a place while the Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one in December 16, 1880- March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899- May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch origin (called Boere, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South Africa that put... Boer War was raging in The Republic of South Africa (pronunciation) is a large republic in Southern Africa. It is located at the southern tip of the continent, and borders Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. The small nation of Lesotho is entirely contained within South African territory. Its economy is the largest and most... South Africa. Reports soon started to come in to British authorities of disturbances throughout North China, aimed particularly against Chinese Christians, missionaries and European merchants. The anti-foreign agitators were called Boxers shorts are a type of underwear, worn usually by men. They are all-around-elastic shorts named after the shorts worn by pugilists. They first originated in the 1930s, but were obscured by the popular briefs. Around 1947, boxers started to gain in popularity. Boxer shorts gained massive popularity... Boxers, and soon were threatening the foreign A Legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. The distinction between a legation and embassy was dropped following the Second World War, as all diplomatic representative offices were now designated as embassies, or high commissions. ... Legations in Beijing (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking), is the capital city of the Peoples Republic of China. Beijing is one of the 4 municipalities of the Peoples Republic of China, which have a provincial-level status, and... Peking and the European settlement at Tianjin (Chinese: 天津; pinyin: tiān jīn; Postal System Pinyin: Tientsin) is a harbour municipality in China on the Hai He River (from Beijing) and Bohai Gulf of the Yellow Sea (Pacific Ocean). The placename literally means the Heavenly Ford. Tianjin is one of four independent... Tientsin. Local British naval forces were sent to the aid of these two threatened communities.

The Boxer forces in Tianjin The Boxer Rebellion ( Traditional Chinese: 義和團起義; Simplified Chinese: 义和团起义; pinyin: ) was an uprising against Western commercial and political influence in China during the final years of the 19th century. By August 1900, over 230 foreigners, thousands of Chinese... Boxer Rebellion: Early Phase

With poorly armed Westeners under seige in Peking and Tientsin, relief was essential, using whatever military forces that happened to be in China. Most British forces were in South Africa, occupied with fighting the Afrikaners (sometimes known as Boers) are white South Africans, predominantly of Calvinist German, French Huguenot, Friesian and Walloons descent who speak Afrikaans. Some settlers from other parts of Europe (e.g. Scandinavia and Britain) also joined the ranks of the Afrikaners. Non-Europeans (including Malay, Indian, Khoi and Bantu) make... Boers. The role of the British China Squadron was vital.

Since both cities were inland, Tientsin some 30 miles up a shallow river, the Categories: China geography stubs | Chinese rivers ... Pei-ho, and Peking some 60 miles further inland, battleships were of no use. But, destroyers could, at high tide, get over the bar and into the river. Taku can refer to: Taku, Saga, a city located in Saga prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan Taku Forts, forts on the south bank of the Hai He, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China Taku Glacier, in Alaska near Juneau Taku River, in Alaska HMS Taku (N38... Taku was at the mouth of the river and was defended by three modern Chinese forts, whose gunners were trained by Europeans. Government forces were beginning to side with the Boxers shorts are a type of underwear, worn usually by men. They are all-around-elastic shorts named after the shorts worn by pugilists. They first originated in the 1930s, but were obscured by the popular briefs. Around 1947, boxers started to gain in popularity. Boxer shorts gained massive popularity... Boxers, so any attempt to go up the River might well draw hostile fire.

Four miles upriver from the forts was a modern Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Dockyards and shipyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated... dockyard and secured to its walls were four brand new German built Chinese destroyers, the most up to date in Asia. They were fully manned and ready for action. Then came the railhead at Tongku, the tracks leading to Tientsin and Peking. Somewhat further up the river was Fort Hsi-cheng.

Roger Keyes arrived off Taku in HMS Fame on May 31, 1900, with the whole Squadron coming in two days later. Since Fame drew only 8 feet of water and could cross the bar into Taku during 4 hours of high tide twice per day, she was used to take messages and passengers back and forth to the railhead. As a result, Keyes became familiar with navigation on the lower stretches of the River. At this point he was able to pass the forts unmolested, though the Chinese gunners trained their guns on his ship.

The British commander, Admiral This may refer to: Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, an English statesman of the Tudor era (16th century) Edward Seymour (Treasurer of the Navy), A 17th century English statesman who served as Treasurer of the Navy during the First Danby Ministry Sir Edward Hobart Seymour, British admiral active during... Edward Seymour visited Tientsin on June 3rd, and alarmed, ordered a small naval brigade to its aide. Fame was busy ferrying the troops upriver, past the forts. At the same time, A desperate message arrived from Peking requesting immediate help. Admiral Seymour took a huge gamble and set out by train for Peking from Tientsin on June with 1,000 British sailors and marines. Naval ships of other countries whose nationals were besieged in Peking contributed sailors as well, and soon the Admiral commanded a mixed force of 1,990 British, German, French, Russian, American, Italian, and Austrian sailors. Then the telegraph line to Peking went dead, and Boxers began tearing up thr railway track in front of and behind the train well before Peking. Seymour was now in a dangerous situation.

The Boxer Rebellion: the Capture of the Taku Flotilla

Keyes, though a junior officer, began to show once again the foresight and leadership which so characterized his career. He determined that the capture of the Taku forts and the seizure of the Chinese destroyers was the key to the relief of Tientsin and Peking. With another junior officer, Commander is a military rank used in many navies but not generally in armies or air forces. It is below Captain and above Lieutenant-Commander. The rank evolved in the 18th and early 19th centuries and was originally known as was Master and Commander. A commander in the Royal Navy... Commander Christopher Craddock, he made a land reconnisance of the forts on June 13 to discover the best line of attack.

On June 15th , Keyes was sent by Admiral See also James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin. James Bruce (1730 - 1794) was a Scottish traveller and travel writer. He was born at the family seat of Kinnaird, Perthshire, and educated at Harrow School. After various travels in Europe he set out in 1768 on his expedition to Abyssinia, and... James Bruce, acting commander, to Tientsin to find out the state of defences and what had happened to Admiral Seymour and his force. He went by himself and boarded the train at Tongku, the sole European aboard. Though harassed he somehow made it and reported to the local British commander, Captain Bayly and his second in command, Commander David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (1871-1936), born in County Wexford, Ireland, was an admiral in the Royal Navy. After joining the Royal Navy in 1884, Beatty gained recognition in the recapture of the Sudan (1896-1899) and the Boxer Rebellion (1900). Beatty was appointed private secretary to the First... David Beatty. Also in Tientsin, helping to fortify the place, was a later famous American, the civilian engineer, Herbert Clark Hoover ( August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) is best known as being the 31st ( 1929- 1933) President of the United States. However, prior to that, he was a successful mining engineer, humanitarian, and administrator. He had the longest retirement of any U.S. President. Family background Hoover... Herbert Hoover. Bayly reported Seymour's precarious situation, with the relief column needing relief itself. He urged Keyes to make it back to Admiral Bruce as quickly as possible to persuade him to seize the Taku forts. Keyes borrowed a revolver and set off. The only train leaving Tientsin headed towards the coast that night was a Chinese troop train, but it had already left by the time he got to the station.

Keyes commandeered a locomotive, bribed the engineer and fireman and set off. When they approached a station en route, they saw that the platform was covered with Chinese soldiers. The railwaymen lost courage and slowed down, until Keyes put his revolver to the engineer's temple, and they steamed through the trouble. When returning to the ship, he discovered that the Chinese had laid mines in the river channel that afternoon.

With some difficulty, Keyes persuaded Bruce of the need to seize the destroyers and the forts. At an international naval gathering next morning it was agreed to issue an ulitmatum to the Chinese ccommander to hand over the forts temporarily to the Europeans. Should the demands not be agreed to, Keyes was given the task of seizing the destroyers at 2am the next morning with an attack on the forts to follow at daybreak.

Keyes scouted the Chinese ships in a lighter before the ultimatum expired, and developed a detailed plan to storm the ships and seize them intact. The four Chinese destroyers, moored to the wharf alongside the drydock, were getting steam up and were fully manned. They displaced 280 tons and could make 32 knots, had six 3 pounder guns as well as two 18 inch torpedo tubes. To face them Keyes had two slower British destroyers, HMS Fame and HMS Whiting which displaced 390 tons and could make 30 knots with an armament of one 12 pounder, five 6 pounders and two 18 inch torpedo tubes.

The plan was simple. Each British destroyer had a boarding party on its Forecastle also spelled focsle (pronounced /f@Uks@l/) originally meant the upper deck of a sailing ship, forward of the foremast. The forward part of a ship with the sailors living quarters is also called forecastle. Related to the latter meaning is the phrase before the mast... forecastle armed with pistols and This article is about the sword. For other uses see Cutlass (disambiguation) A cutlass is a sword with a curved blade sharpened on the convex side. The cutlass was a sailors weapon of choice. This curved bladed sword was also used by many foot solders and Mamelukes. Its curve... cutlasses, led by its captain to seize the first and third destroyers and another boarding party in a The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales. Historically, poor conservation management by many nations led to far more whales being killed than could be sustained and... whaler towed behind, led by the first officer to seize the second and fourth ships.

But at 1am the Chinese forts opened fire. Keyes immediately put his plan into action and, under the cover of nightfall, all went off like clockwork. After a few scuffles on deck, the Chinese crews were driven ashore or captured below. There were no British casualties, but several Chinese were killed. He then led a sortie ashore and captured the drydock, dispersing snipers. His orders were to take the captured ships to Tongku, which he did.

The Boxer Rebellion: The Fort at Hsi-cheng

He was about to return downstream from Tongku to assist in the attack on the Taku forts, when a young British naval officer in charge of a river tug with stores and ammunition for the besieged troops in Tientsin came aboard. His orders were to make a run for Tientsin at daybreak, but his Chinese crew refused to leave for fear of being sunk by the guns of the fort upstream at Hsi-cheng. Inquiries with a Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0.8% Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density Ranked 10th 127,333,002 337/km² GDP  - Total (PPP, 2005)  - Total (nominal)  ... Japanese gunboat captain told him that the fort had six modern 6-inch quick fire guns, more than a match for Keyes's two small destroyers.

Keyes then escorted the tug past the fort which did not open fire. The supplies got through to Tientsin. But he was very aware that the fort could cut communications with Tientsin whenever it wished. By the time he got back to Taku, the three forts had been taken.

He attempted without success to convince Admiral Bruce of the need to take the fort at Hsi-cheng. But reports from Tientsin grew more alarming, with Admiral Seymour in a perilous situation, and no word from Peking. He tried in vain to interest the Russians whose small army of 2,000 was slowly making its way from Tongku to Tientsin. The Russians had the only wagons available and since they were shooting every Chinese person they met, coolies were not available. The Russians made it to Tientsin, but were stuck there, with messages arriving from Seymour asking for help. Supplies could no longer get by the fort at Hsi-cheng.

Getting permission for a cautious reconnoitring of the river above Tongku ( but under no circumstances to hazard his ship), Keyes loaded the Fame with as many armed men as he could, anchored on an ebb tide off the fort and sheered into the bank. He sprang ashore, followed by a landing party of 32, armed with rifles pistols, cutlasses and explosives. Surprise was complete, the main door of the fort was open, and a party of Chinese inside was scattered. They quickly destroyed the gun mountings, and blew up the powder magazine, fleeing back to the ship in the nick of time. The same day, June 25, 1900, Admiral Seymour managed to fight his way back into Tientsin.

The Boxer Rebellion: Tientsin and Peking

After all his exploits, Keyes still managed to get himself into the thick of fighting throughout the rest of the campaign. He managed to obtain leave from the Fame for two days to run a tug and lighter with stores to Tientsin. While there he joined an attack on some Chinese batteries at the Tientsin race course, being very impressed by the Japanese troops who led it. Further requests for leave to join the fighting were frostily rejected by Admiral Seymour.

However his luck changed when troops from India arrived for the advance on Peking, led by an old friend of his father, General Sir Alfred Gaselee. Reluctantly, Seymour agreed to Gaselee's request that Keyes accompany the expedition as a naval Aide De Camp.

So it came to be that a young naval officer was the first man over the Peking walls, planting a Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag or Union Jack is the flag most commonly associated with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was also used throughout the former British Empire. It retains an official or semi-official status in many Commonwealth Realms. It is commonly... Union Jack on the top. He was also the first to break through to the Legations.

After some time to convalese from diptheria, Keyes resumed command of HMS Fame, and returned to Hong Kong through a dreadful This article is about weather phenomena. For other uses, see Hurricane (disambiguation), Typhoon (disambiguation) and Tropical storm (disambiguation). Hurricane Ivan viewed from the International Space Station, September 2004. NASA photo by Edward Fincke. In meteorology, a tropical cyclone (or tropical storm, typhoon or hurricane, depending on strength and location) is... typhoon. He was soon promoted and transferred home.

Destroyers, Admiralty, Rome and Submarines

After a few months leave at home, Keyes was appointed to the command of a new destroyer, HMS Bat, a 360 ton 30 knotter, similar to the Fame. He was stationed at This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. For other places with the same name, please see Portsmouth (disambiguation). Portsmouth is a city of about 186,000 located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of England. A significant naval port for centuries, previously the worlds... Portsmouth and was second in command of the The name of Devonport has spread from the original Devonport, Devon in England to: Devonport, suburb of Auckland, New Zealand Devonport, Tasmania, Australia Devonport is now part of Plymouth and is the site of the Devonport Dockyards. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages... Devonport This article is about the warship. For other things called destroyer, see Destroyer (disambiguation). USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against... Destroyer Fleet can refer to several things: A group of ships: Fishing fleet Naval fleet, such as US 1st Fleet also known as the US Coast Guard US 2nd Fleet US 3rd Fleet US 5th Fleet US 6th Fleet US 7th Fleet Portuguese 1807 Fleet Fleet is the name of several... Flotilla. He found the ships upkeep and training exercises lax and soon his forceful personality made itself felt. He was in command of four of the ships and embarked on a rigorous scheme of training these in all weather using aggressive tactics. He brought in a like minded assistant, Commander Walter Cowan, who became a fast friend and a formidable warrior in his own right.

His efforts paid off when the ships under his command did very well in naval exercises. This led to an appointment at the For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. For the area of Hong Kong, see Admiralty, Hong Kong Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723_26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty (officially the Admiralty Board... Admiralty in the intelligence section. His role was to become familiar with the navies and coast defences of Italy, Japan, and Russia. In this capacity, he was called on to find out the facts surrounding the infamous Dogger Bank Incident, when Russian ships en route to the Far East is a term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i.e., Russian Far East, and the western Pacific Ocean region. Far East (in contrast to Middle East) refers to countries/territories of East Asia e.g. China... Far East to fight the Japanese, opened fire on British fishing ships in the The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. A bay of the North Sea is Skagerrak, between... North Sea. He was called to testify before the International Court of Enquiry held in Paris in January, 1905 , and his testimony on this occasion was seen as conclusive. Britain won the dispute and proper compensation was paid.

The time back in England enabled Keyes to pursue his passion for polo, a recreation at which he made the aquaintance of The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, FRS ( November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. At various times an author, soldier, journalist, and politician, Churchill is generally regarded as... Winston Churchill. They became and remained good friends for the rest of their lives. He never missed a party attended by Miss Eva Bowlby, whom he had met in March 1903 when his ship had put in at Knoydart is a peninsula on the west coast of Scotland, in the UK, sandwiched between Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn—often translated as Heaven and Hell respectively. It is sometimes referred to as Britains last Wilderness, and has a resident population of roughly 100 adults. It is only... Knoydart, her father's Scottish estate.

In early 1905 Keyes took up an appointment as naval attache at The Roman Colosseum Rome (Italian and Latin Roma) is the capital city of Italy, and of its Lazio region. It is located on the lower Tiber river, near the Mediterranean Sea, at 41°50N, 12°15E. The Vatican City State, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat... Rome, This article is about the city and federal state in Austria. For other places or things called Vienna, see Vienna (disambiguation). Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). Situated on both sides of the river... Vienna, Map of Constantinople. Constantinople (Roman name: Constantinopolis; Modern Greek: Konstantinoupoli or Κωνσταντινούπολη) is the former name of the city of Istanbul in todays Turkey. Today, Constantinople is the area between the Golden Horn and... Constantinople and The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. The Parthenon, the main monument on the site, was built in favour of goddess Athena, the patron of the city Athens ( Greek: Αθήνα Athína) is the capital of Greece, and... Athens, with his office at the British Embassy in Rome. On April 10th, 1906 he married Eva Bowlby. They honeymooned on the Dalmatian coast and the Greek Isles.

In January, 1908, Keyes took up command of HMS Venus, a second class The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. In military terminology, a cruiser is a large warship capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously. Historically they were generally considered the smallest ships capable of independent operations — destroyers usually requiring outside support such as tenders — but in modern... cruiser serving with the The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. The oceans name, derived from Greek mythology, means the Sea of Atlas. This ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending in a north-south direction and is divided into the North Atlantic and... Atlantic Fleet. This was a happy time for crew and captain. In 1910 Keyes was looking forward to command of an The armored cruiser was a naval cruiser protected by armor on its sides as well as on the decks and gun positions. This class was used from around 1875 until mid-World War I, and in auxiliary roles in the 1930s and even during World War II. The development of... armoured cruiser, when he was offered the appointment of Inspecting Captain of Submarines. This was in the days of the infancy of USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. Nuclear powered submarines and other large submarines are classed as ships, but are customarily referred to by their crews as boats. Most major navies of the world employ submarines. Submarines are also used for marine and freshwater... submarines and the job was not his first choice. But he agreed and found himself in command of sixty one undersea vessels.

Keyes had an office in the Admiralty, headquarters at Portsmouth and flotillas of submarines at The name of Devonport has spread from the original Devonport, Devon in England to: Devonport, suburb of Auckland, New Zealand Devonport, Tasmania, Australia Devonport is now part of Plymouth and is the site of the Devonport Dockyards. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages... Devonport, (This article is about the town in England. For other uses of the name, see Harwich (disambiguation).) Categories: UK geography stubs | Towns in Essex ... Harwich and Location within the British Isles. Dundee is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154 674 (2001), situated on the North bank of the Firth of Tay. The city is built on the basalt plug of an extinct volcano (174 m (571 feet)), now called Dundee Law. During the Iron Age... Dundee. Each flotilla had a depot ship (an old cruiser). Though the position was initially regarded as a training role, Keyes's energy led it to become an operational command. The most effective submarines were based at Harwich, and in event of war, Keyes was to assume command of these, reporting directly to the Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. While well-known Commanders-in-Chief often have been senior generals, many countries have the... Commander-in-Chief, The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. Categories: Stub | Fleets | Royal Navy ... Home Fleet. He was to be given, at the outbreak of war, two fast destroyers as part of his command, so as to be able to put to sea regularly to direct his submarines.

Keyes saw the worsening international situation in late July of 1914 and cancelled all leave for his men. He moved his vessels and headquarters to Harwich to be closer to Germany, and was ready for war when it broke out on August 4, 1914.

World War One: Submariner

When the war broke out , Keyes took command of the USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. Nuclear powered submarines and other large submarines are classed as ships, but are customarily referred to by their crews as boats. Most major navies of the world employ submarines. Submarines are also used for marine and freshwater... submarine force at (This article is about the town in England. For other uses of the name, see Harwich (disambiguation).) Categories: UK geography stubs | Towns in Essex ... Harwich on the south east of England.

World War I: The Dardanelles

Later Keyes was naval chief of staff during the Dardalelles Campaign.

World War I: The Grand Fleet and Admiralty Plans

After the heartbreak of the Dardanelles operation, Keyes applied for a transfer back to the During World War I, the British Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. He was later succeeded by the commander of the Grand Fleet battlecruisers Admiral Sir David Beatty. Categories: Naval stubs | Fleets | Royal Navy ... Grand Fleet. He was in The White Tower The Arch of Galerius Map showing the Thessaloníki prefecture Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. The city is... Salonika finishing up when news arrived of the Battle of Jutland Peninsula Jutland (Danish: Jylland, German: Jütland) is a peninsula in northern Europe that forms the continental part of Denmark and a northern part of Germany, dividing the North Sea from the Baltic Sea. Its terrain is relatively flat, with low hills and peat bogs. It has an area... Jutland. He returned to England immediately and took command of the This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. See also Battleship (game). Dreadnought redirects here. See also Workers Dreadnought. HMS Victory in 1884 In naval history, battleships were the most heavily armed and armored warships afloat. They were designed to engage enemy warships with direct and indirect... battleship Eight ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Centurion, after the centurions of ancient Rome. The first Centurion was a 34-gun ship launched in 1650 and wrecked in 1689. The second Centurion was a 48-gun fourth-rate in service from 1691 to 1728. The third... HMS Centurion, assigned to the 2nd Battle Squadron. He was promoted The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. Each Naval Squadron would be assigned an Admiral as its head, who would command from the center vessel and direct the activities of the squadron. The Admiral would... Rear Admiral on April 10th, 1917. In June he was made second in command of the 4th Battle Squadron, under Admiral Sir Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee, Bt., 1859–1925, was a British admiral. He entered the Royal Navy in 1871 and rose to become Chief of War Staff at the Admiralty on the outbreak of World War I. In December 1914, he decisively defeated the German squadron under Graf Maximilian... Doveton Sturdee. He flew his flag aboard Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Colossus: Colossus (1787) - A 74-gun sail battleship of the Leviathan class, launched at Gravesend. Colossus (1882) - Second-class battleship of the Colossus class. Colossus (1910) - Dreadnought battleship of the Colossus class, commissioned in 1911. She fought at the Battle... HMS Colossus, Dudley Pound, captain.

World War I: The Dover Patrol

On January 1st, 1918, Keyes took over command of the Dover Patrol.

World War I: Zeebrugge and Ostend

Toward the end of the war he planned and led the famous 1918 raids on German submarine pens in the For other uses, see Belgium (disambiguation). The word Belgian redirects to this page. For an article about the horse breed, see Belgian (horse). The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea... Belgian ports of Zeebrugge (French: Zeebruges) is a harbor-town at the coast of Belgium in Bruges. The harbor is important for ferries to the United Kingdom, import and export of cars and the marine. There is an expressway to Bruges which connects Zeebrugge to the European motorways; you can get to Zeebrugge... Zeebrugge and Ostend.

Peacetime Sailor Again

In May 1925, Keyes took up command of the Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. British Mediterranean Fleet French Mediterranean Fleet US Mediterranean Fleet This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. If an article link referred you here, you might... Mediterranean Fleet, the premier active command in the Navy. He held the command until the spring of 1928.

Member of Parliament

Sir Roger Keyes was elected A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. Australia In Australia, the term Member of Parliament refers specifically to a member of the Australian House of Representatives. See also... Member of Parliament for North Portsmouth as a Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. There are also a number of Conservative political parties in various countries. All of these are primarily (though not necessarily exclusively) identified with the political right. While the intellectual roots of conservatism date back centuries... Conservative in 1934. He served until raised to the peerage as Baron Keyes of Zeebrugge and Dover in January of 1943.

World War II: Belgian Mission

World War II: The Commandos

During Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War Two Keyes was the first Director of Combined Operations, the The French Navy commando Jaubert storm the Alcyon in a mock assault. In military science, the term commando can refer to an individual, a military unit, or a style of military operation. In certain contexts, the term is synonymous with light infantry or special forces. Elite soldiers Commandos are generally... Commandos. His tenure was from July 17, 1940 to October 27, 1941.

Last Days of Politics and Goodwill Tour

Family Life and Last Days

In December, 1941, his oldest son, In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. In the U.S. Navy, the rank of lieutenant colonel is comparable to the rank of commander. The insignia for all four positions is... Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes (VC, MC, Croix de Guerre (France)) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Details He was 24 years old, and a T... Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes,V.C., was killed at Beda Littoria, This article is about Libya, the country in North Africa. For the mythical character of the same name see: Libya (mythology). The Great Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya or Libya (Arabic: ليبيا) is a country in North Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, located between Egypt... Libya as a part of the famous commando raid to capture German General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (November 15, 1891–October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals and commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps in World War II. He is also known by his nickname The Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs). Early life and... Erwin Rommell.

Keyes died on December 26, 1945 at This article is about the town of Buckingham in Buckinghamshire, England. For other places in the world called Buckingham see Buckingham (disambiguation) Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire approximately 10 miles from the border with Northamptonshire. The town has a population of 11,572 (2001 census). Historically Buckingham... Buckingham, England.