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The Raid on Zeebrugge - 23rd April 1918 |
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ROGER KEYESRoger John
Brownlow Keyes came from a well established military family. He was born in India the son of a General and joined the Navy at the age of 13. He was posted to Cape Town where he served aboard a sailing
ship and later was an officer on board Queen Victoria's royal yacht. He gained early promotion for his bravery during the Boxer Rising in China and by 1910 was commodore of the Royal Navy's
newly-formed submarine fleet. Due to an illness when he was young, Keyes was always thin and frail looking, but despite this he had a reputation for courage. His slight build and his fierce
determination caused many to compare him with Nelson. He much preferred to be at sea with his men rather than sitting behind a desk |
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PROMOTION TO THE ADMIRALTYIn 1917
Keyes was commanding the battleship Centurion
based in Scapa Flow. Although keen for promotion Keyes was bitterly disappointed to have to relinquish this command and move to the Admiralty as Director of Naval Planning. Keyes
believed in taking the fight to the enemy. He wanted to see the Royal Navy's great strength being used in battle, not simply kept in reserve and used as a deterrent. Winston Churchill who was First Lord of
the Admiralty during the First World War, shared many of Keyes' views. They had worked closely together when planning the Dardanelles campaign when Keyes developed a friendship with Churchill that was to
last the rest of his life. |
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THE MOVE TO DOVERIn his new job at
the Admiralty it soon became obvious to Keyes that Admiral Bacon would not change his views about the defence of the Channel. The Admiralty decided that Keyes' view should prevail and after only a few months
he was sent to Dover to take over as Admiral in command of the Dover Patrol, with the urgent task of tackling the submarine problem. It was 1917 and Keyes, aged 45, was the youngest Admiral
in the Navy. As a man of action, much was expected of him in his new role |
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