3269, Battery Sergeant Major Charles William KEEBLE, Royal Garrison Artillery

Charles was born in Bramford on the 9th June 1882. He was the son of Charles and Ellen (née Brown) and the family lived in The Street. Charles junior enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery on 7th March 1900 aged 18 years. His father had died before 1901 and his mother was still living in The Street with three of her children.
His army record has survived and gives an insight into an extensive career that took Charles around the world and through the war.
On enlistment he was 5 feet 6 inches tall, had a 34 inch chest and weighed 135 pounds. He had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and auburn hair.
An ideal soldier, he was awarded a 1st Good Conduct Badge in 1903 and the 2nd in 1905. In 1911 he was at Clarence Barracks in Portsmouth and by then a Bombardier. Later that year he received Proficiency Pay, Class 1, of six-pence. He was promoted to Corporal in 1912, Sergeant in 1915 and Battery Sergeant Major in 1918. Enlisting for originally for 7 years with the Colours and 5 in the Reserve, army life obviously suited Charles and he extended his service to a total of 21 years. His long career involved spells of duty in Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Malta. It was during his second tour of Singapore from 1911 to 1915, when he was involved in operations against the Sepoy Mutineers in 1915, he received a gunshot wound to the left elbow. He came back to the UK on 17th August 1915 and, probably while based at Fort Staddon, Plymouth he met and married Bessie Boyce at Plympton St Mary on 27th November 1915. He served in France from 8th January 1916, with periods in the UK, until he was demobbed on 24th April 1920. On demob he was assessed as having 60% disablement due to his wound received in 1915 and no longer fit for war service.
In addition to his British War Medal and Victory Medal, Charles was awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
His last known address was 2 Warsaw Cottages, Compton Road, Totton, Southampton. The death of a Charles W Keeble, born in 1882, was recorded in the fourth quarter of 1947 in the New Forest District, Hampshire.