Admirals of the British Navy Part 8

Commanding a Light Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland, he was first to gain touch with the enemy. He was mentioned in Despatches and would have been recommended for an honour had he not received one shortly before the battle. Sir David Beatty in his report to the Commander-in-Chief referred specially to Commodore Edwyn S.

Alexander-Sinclair and a few others, saying that these officers antic.i.p.ated his wishes and used their forces to the best possible effect.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REAR-ADMIRAL E. S. ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR]

After Jutland Commodore Alexander-Sinclair received the Russian Order of St. Vladimir (Third Cla.s.s) with swords.

From December 18th, 1914, until promoted Rear-Admiral, he was Aide-de-Camp to the King. He has also held a Good Service pension.

XII

REAR-ADMIRAL SIR ROGER JOHN BROWNLOW KEYES, K.C.B., C.M.G., M.V.O., D.S.O.

REAR-ADMIRAL SIR ROGER JOHN BROWNLOW KEYES, K.C.B., C.M.G., M.V.O., D.S.O., was born in 1872 and entered the Royal Navy in 1885, became a Lieutenant on August 28th, 1893, a Commander on November 9th, 1900, and a Captain on June 30th, 1905.

In 1890 he served in the Naval Brigade which took part in the punitive expedition against the Sultan of Vitu in East Africa. For this he received the General African Medal, Vitu, 1890, and Clasp.

As Lieutenant-Commander of the "Fame" in 1900, he received the Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society for having jumped into the Peiho River, China, and saving Mids.h.i.+pman R. C. Mayne, who had accidentally been swept overboard by a coil of rope.

Whilst in command of the "Fame" during the Boxer Rising in the same year, he did good service, especially in the capture of four Chinese Destroyers at Tongku, for which he received from the Admiralty "the expression of Their Lords.h.i.+ps' thorough approbation."

He was mentioned in despatches by General Gaselee on January 17th, 1901, and promoted Commander for his services in China.

He was Naval Attache at Rome, Vienna, Athens, and Constantinople from 1905-7.

On April 24th, 1906, he received the M.V.O., and in the same year he also received the Order of the Crown of Italy (Third Cla.s.s).

[Ill.u.s.tration: REAR-ADMIRAL ROGER J. B. KEYES]

He became Inspecting Captain of Submarines on November 14th, 1910, and Commodore (S) in charge of the Submarine Service on August 31st, 1912, which post he held until 1915.

At the coronation of King George V. he was made a C.B. (Military).

As Commodore, Rear Admiral Keyes commanded the Submarine Flotilla in operations in the Heligoland Bight on August 28th, 1914. On the morning of the day in question, in company with the "Firedrake," he searched the area to the southward of the Battle Cruisers for the enemy's submarines, and, having been detached, was present at the sinking of the German Cruiser "Mainz," when he gallantly proceeded alongside her in the "Lurcher" and rescued 220 of her crew, many of whom were wounded.

Subsequently, he escorted the "Laurel" and the "Liberty" out of action and kept them company till Rear-Admiral Campbell's cruisers were sighted.

He commanded the submarines co-operating in the air reconnaissance of the Heligoland Bight on December 25th, 1914, and received the "expression of Their Lords.h.i.+ps' appreciation" for this service.

He was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the King on September 15th, 1914, and in 1915 became Chief of the Staff to Vice-Admiral Sir J. M. de Robeck, commanding the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, holding that post during both the landing on and the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula, for which he was commended in despatches, and on January 1st, 1916, he was awarded the C.M.G. for his services during the war.

In further recognition of these services he also received the D.S.O. on June 3rd of the same year, on April 7th of which he had been decorated Commander of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic.

He was appointed to the command at Dover on January 1st, 1918, being given acting Vice-Admiral's rank. He was in command of the units that carried out the attack on Zeebrugge and Ostend on April 23rd, flying his flag in H.M. Destroyer "North Star." On April 24th His Majesty the King signified his approval of the promotion of Vice-Admiral Keyes to be a member of the Second Cla.s.s, or Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Military Division), "in recognition of his distinguished service in Command of the operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on Tuesday, April 23rd, 1918."

Rear-Admiral Keyes in addition to the above-named honours holds the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus of Italy, and the Order of the Redeemer (Third Cla.s.s) of Greece.

The Western Front

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