Name
Douglas Scrivenor Howard Keep (MC)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/07/1917
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Military Cross
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RENINGHELST NEW MILITARY CEMETERY
III. F. 26.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, Langleybury Village Memorial
Biography
Douglas Keep was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 17th June 1893. His father, John Keep, was born in Birmingham and it is not known what took him to New Zealand, where Douglas’s brother and sister were born, and from there on to Australia. By 1899 the family was back in England and living in Birmingham, and at the time of the 1901 Census his father was working as the Secretary for Collieries, and living at St Helens, Lancashire. By 1911 the family had moved on once again and was living at “Brookfield” in Gallows Hill Lane, Abbots Langley. At this time John Keep was living from Private Means, and the household was serviced by three servants. In 1911 Douglas was away boarding at Leighton Park School, at Shinfield, Reading. He progressed to Wadham College, Oxford University where for two years he was a member of the Officer Training Corps, rowed for his College, and gained a BA degree and the Royal Humane Society’s Medal for Life Saving.
He joined up at the outbreak of War and was gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Bedfordshire’s on 16th September 1914, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on 4th November 1916. His Medal Record Card showed that he went to France on 1st August 1915. He survived action on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916, and further actions on the Somme at Thiepval, the Schwaben Redoubt and the Ancre, and in 1917 served during the Battle of Arras.
Following the attack on the Schwaben Redoubt on 27th September 1916, he was awarded the Military Cross. The citation which appeared in the London Gazette on 24th November 1916 noted “He organised and led repeated bombing attacks on the enemy strong points. On one occasion, with only three men, and no bombs he remained in close proximity to the enemy for one and a half hours”. His brother, Howard, also a Captain with the 7th Bedford’s also was awarded a Military Cross and Lance Corporal Jesse Whittaker, also from Abbots Langley was killed in action, serving with the 7th Bedfordshire’s all in the same action .
Douglas was killed by a shell whilst supervising the burying of cables on the western edge of Zillibeke Lake near Ypres on the night of 14/15th July 1917.His body was recovered and he was buried with full military honours on 16th July.
The Abbots Langley Parish Magazine in August 1917 reported an extensive obituary for Douglas Keep. The report commenced with
“It is with the greatest sorrow that we put on record the death of Captain Douglas Howard Keep, and we offer our sympathy to Mrs Keep in this terrible trouble that has befallen her”.
Howard Keep went onto command the 7th Bedfordshire’s and was later promoted to Major. Douglas’ younger brother, Norman joined up later in the War as a Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery. Both brothers survived the War. All three brothers were mentioned in the Langleybury Parish Magazine throughout the War, and were all included in the Langleybury Roll of Honour which was compiled at the end of the War.
Douglas Keep was buried at Reninghelst New Military Cemetery near Poperinghe in Belgium, and was commemorated on the War Memorial in Abbots Langley, and at St Paul’s Church, Langleybury.
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
