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2^nd Lieutenant
ARTHUR THEODORE KEEBLE
Royal Engineers 

and 

Lieutenant
HUGH MUNRO KEEBLE
Royal Engineers 

by 

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, BSAE, P.E., MinstRE
(September 2025) 

Figure 1. 2^nd Lieutenant Arthur Theodore Keeble, R.E.
(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum) 

1. INTRODUCTION  

While researching the life and military service of Arthur Theodore Keeble, it was found that his younger brother, Hugh Munro Keeble, also served in the Great War of 1914-1918 in the Royal Engineers.  While Hugh survived the war, Arthur did not.  Arthur’s life will be covered in detail in this narrative, followed by details of Hugh’s military service during the war. 

2.  FAMILY INFORMATION AND EARLY LIFE

Family Information

            Arthur and Hugh Keeble were the sons of Arthur Keeble (1869-1951) and Margaret Shaw McKenzie Keeble, née Munro (1869-1939).  The 1901 Census of England shows the Keeble family living at 116 Caversham Road in Reading, Berkshire. 

1901 Census of England

Figure 2.  116 Caversham Road, Reading, Berkshire.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth) 

By 1911 the family was residing in the Kendrick School in Reading where Arthur and Hugh’s father was the Schoolmaster, as shown in the census for that year. 

 Early Life

            Arthur Theodore Keeble was born on 10 July 1897.  He received his education at the Kendrick School, where his father was the master for many years.  He entered the school at the earliest possible age, and passed through all the forms and won many prizes for form work, and several for mathematics, drawing and French.  

In the college of preceptors’ examination he gained, at the age of 12, third prize in all England out of several thousand candidates. The next year he passed the London University Matriculation in the 1st Division, and within six months was successful in the inter B.Sc. He was then only 17 years of age.  

Arthur was captain of the school for some years. He was a prominent member of the Debating Society, ably carried on under the presidency of Mr. G. H. Langley, M.A., was associated with the Magazine Committee, and was a regular contributor to the magazine. The prose and poetry, grave and humorous, letterpress or illustrations, were all his work, and his humorous sketches, fine drawings to illustrate his own articles on “The microscope and Nature”, “War and its Engines of Destruction”, and his poem to Captain Scott constituted features of the magazine.

He was zealous for the Royal Berkshire Hospital collection at school. In this connection he took photographs of the various events at the athletic sports, and all the profits from the sales were put into the term’s collection for the hospital. He was swimming champion of the school for two years, fives champion for several years, and played for the school at both cricket and football. He was also a good chess player.  

Arthur was also a splendid pianist. He accompanied the vocal selections and Romberg’s “Toy Symphony”, given by his father at the Reading Town Hall on the occasion of the annual prize distribution. On these occasions he always took part in the Shakespearean dramatic scene.  In October 1914 he entered University College, Reading, to read for his final examination in B.Sc.  Besides lectures, he threw himself into the various phases of the college life, such as football and various societies, especially Kosmos, the Choral Society, and the Officers’ Training Corps, for which he received a full certificate. He was leader of the Reading Crusaders’ Bible Class, which was for public and secondary schoolboys.[1]           

3.  COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING 

Commissioning 

            In March 1916, Arthur joined a cadet unit of the Royal Engineers.  Upon his attestation he was issued Regimental Number 152367, [2] a number associated with the Royal Engineers Signal Service.  The number may even have been one issued to men who served in the Second Army Wireless Company.  He may have been attached to this company while in training at the School of Military Engineering (SME) at Chatham.  Keeble was commissioned a Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 7 July 1916.[3] 

Training 

Following his commissioning 2^nd Lieutenant Keeble attended basic officer training at the SME.  Since the war was well underway by 1916, Keeble would have received a short or accelerated course of instruction consisting primarily of field fortifications, construction, surveying, telegraphy, electric lighting, and tactics. 

4.  POSTINGS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE[4]

            Upon completion of his training Keeble was posted to the 8^th Divisional Signal Company, which had been in France since March 1915.  He joined the company on 3 November 1916.  He stayed in France for five months and was then sent home, contracting measles, this being followed by tonsillitis and was in hospital for six weeks. In April 1917, soon after recuperating, he was ordered to France again. 

The 8^th Division had just come through the Battle of Albert (The Somme) in July 1916 and had entered a period of relative quiet at the front.  On 27 June 1917 2^nd Lieutenant Keeble and his section were laying cable to the front line trenches in the early morning.  This work was probably being done in preparation for the upcoming Battle of Pilckem, which was scheduled to begin the following month.  While executing this work, Keeble was mortally wounded by shrapnel.  He was immediately carried to a casualty clearing station where he underwent emergency surgery.  He succumbed to wounds on Thursday morning, 28 June 1917, aged only 19 years. 

His commanding officer, Major V.A.C. Clery, R.E., had this to say of him upon his death: - “I am very grieved to have to write and tell you that your son was wounded and died yesterday whilst engaged in his work. He was hit by a piece of shell and was severely wounded. Fortunately he remained unconscious until the time of his death, and so I am happy to say must have suffered no pain. All the officers and men of his company are in mourning with me, and sent you their deepest sympathy. He was a very gallant lad, and died like a soldier and a gentleman. He is buried in a cemetery in a large town close to the lines, and we are having a cross put over his grave to-day, and will notify the exact position to the Graves Registration Committee. I was very fond of your son. He was filled with a very high sense of duty, and although he disliked being shelled as much as any one of us and yet he never shirked his work, no matter how dangerous or unpleasant it was. He was a credit to the whole corps of Engineers.”[5]  

From his batman (Pioneer F.C. Wheeler): “This company has lost a most promising young officer. He did his duty up to the last, and his section thought so much of him, and often said what a brave officer he was, and so nice to his men.”[6] 

2^nd Lieutenant Arthur Theodore Keeble was buried in the Lijssenthoek Miliary Cemetery, Section XIII, Row A, Grave 11. 

Lieutenant Keeble was of good physique. He stood over six feet, and was well developed. There is no doubt that had he been spared he would have had a brilliant career.[7]

5.      MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

For his service during the war 2^nd Lieutenant Keeble was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Figure 3.  British War Medal and Victory Medal.
(Image from the author’s collection)

NOTE: The medals shown above are not those of 2^nd Lieutenant Keeble.  They are presented here for illustrative purposes only. 

Figure 4.  The Medal Index Card of 2^nd Lieutenant Arthur Theodore Keeble, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com) 

            Arthur’s medals were sent to his father on 24 February 1922 at Cromarty House, London Road, Reading, Berkshire.[8] 

6.      Lieutenant Hugh Munro Keeble, R.E.

Hugh Munro Keeble was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1899.  On 17 January 1917, just over two months from the date that his brother was posted to France, Hugh enlisted in the Royal Engineers as a Pioneer, Regimental Number 322351.  His attestation papers provide the following information about him at the time of his enlistment: 

·         Home Address: 20 Eldon Road, Reading, Berkshire.[9]

·         Age: 17 years and 364 days.

·         Occupation: Student.

·         Not married.

·         Prior Service:  Officers Training Corps for two years.

·         Height: 5 feet 9½ inches.

·         Chest (expanded): 35 inches. Range of expansion: 3 inches.

·         Religion: Church of England.

On the day following his enlistment Hugh was posted to the Army Reserve and he remained in that status until 2 September 1917 when he was mobilized and posted to one of the Royal Engineers Signal Depots.  His Regimental Number in the 322XXX range may indicate that he was to be posted to the 59^th Divisional Signal Company on the completion of his training. 

Figure 5.  20 Eldon Road, Berkshire, Reading.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth) 

Hugh was discharged from the ranks on 22 February 1918 and the following day he was commissioned a Temporary 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.[10]  On 30 June 1918 he was posted to France.[11]  It is not known in which unit he served during the remaining days of the war.  For his service he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. 

Figure 6.  The Medal Index Card of Lieutenant Hugh Munro Keeble, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com) 

            Hugh Keeble was promoted to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant on 23 August 1919[12] and on 31 August 1919, upon demobilization, he was gazetted to retain the rank of Lieutenant.[13]  Hugh applied for his medals from the War Office on 21 August 1923.[14] 

            Hugh Munro Keeble died on 1 July 1986.  His residence at the time was 4 The Folly, Cerne Abbas, Dorset.[15] 

Figure 7.  The Folly, Cerne Abbas, Dorset.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

REFERENCES: 

Books 

University of London Student Records, 1836-1945. 

Census 

1.      Census of England, 1901 (RG 13/1152).

2.      Census of England and Wales, 1911.

Civil Documents 

1.      Commonwealth War Graves Commission Memorial Certificate.

2.      U.K. Probate Calendar, 1951, p. 19, Arthur Keeble.

3.      U.K. Probate Calendar, 1986, p. 4660, Hugh Munro Keeble.

Family Trees 

1.      Ancestry.com: Arthur Theodore Keeble.

2.      Ancestry.com: Arthur Keeble (father).

3.      Ancestry.com: Hugh Munro Keeble (brother).

Internet Web Sites 

1.      Royal British Legion (Every One Remembered): Comment by Nicholas Keeble.

https://www.everyoneremembered.org/profiles/soldier/145305/

2.      Imperial War Museum: Lives of the First World War: Reading Mercury Obituary.

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/story/102873

3.      Wikipedia: History of the British 8^th Division during the First World War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_8th_Division_during_the_First_World_War

London Gazette 

1.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 6 July 1916, p. 6728.

2.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 March 1918, p. 2958.

3.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 October 1919, p. 12203.

4.      Supplement to the London Gazette, 15 September 1921, p. 7301.

Military Documents 

1.      Medal Index Card: 2^nd Lieutenant Arthur Theodore Keeble, R.E.

2.      Great War Service Papers: 322351 Pioneer Hugh Munro Keeble, R.E.

a.       Short Service Attestation

b.      Description on Enlistment.

c.       Casualty Form – Active Service.

d.      Inside Sheet (Army Form B. 104 – 53.)

e.       Appointment to Temporary Commission.

f.        Statement of the Services.

3.      Royal Engineers Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal; 2^nd Lieutenant A.T. Keeble, R.E.

Periodicals 

Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932.

ENDNOTES: