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- Jun 9, 2020
- 6 min read

The Distinguished Service of Colonel Robert Keane

Who was Col. Robert A. Keane?

Col. Robert (Bob) Keane was born in Fort William. As an exceptional hockey player he traveled to England in his twenties to play as a professional hockey player.[i] While there, he watched as Nazism began to rise and, understanding that the wave of fascism would not stop unopposed, was inspired to join the Canada’s Non-Permanent Active Militia (a predecessor of Canadian Army Reserve Force) when he returned home in 1935[ii]. He was mobilized with the Lake Superior Regiment on 1 June 1940 and was later promoted to the rank of Major.[iii] He was

positioned with the Lake Superior Regiment. During the Second World War, Keane fought in the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) which was a Mechanized Infantry regiment in the 4th Armoured Division.[iv] According to a eulogy by a friend, Keane was someone who did not appreciate the killing of innocents and shied away even from hunting during times of peace. During the war, he drove and served with Bren Gun Carriers which were the main vehicle used by the LSR (M). During the war, he fought valiantly and after D-Day when the commanding officer of the “Lake Sups”, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Murrell, was wounded Keane stepped in to fill the void and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

To try to detail all of Col. Keane’s military exploits would be to write an entire book. However, it is clear that Keane took his position very seriously and proved to be a keen (no pun intended) military strategist. While putting himself in great personal danger, Keane bravely and carefully led his regiment to key victories during Operation Blockbuster in March 1945 in Germany. An example of this includes his decision to change course during the push through the Xanten Woods and instead of waiting for H-Hour (the time at which the initiative was intended to take place) Lt. Col. Keane decided to enter the woods early based on the information received from reconnaissance troops sent in ahead of time.[v] This movement ultimately resulted in the capture and surrender of German troops at Winnenthal a few days later.[vi] This initiative and the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor)’s involvement was praised by the General Officer Commanding Major General C. Vokes.[vii] Lt. Col. Keane continued to successfully command the Lake Sups and, upon returning back to Fort William at the end of the war, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his outstanding leadership and skill.

Upon returning home, Lt. Col. Keane tried his hand at politics but was unsuccessful in an attempt to run for federal parliament in the summer of 1945.[viii] Instead, deciding to make a career out of the military, he joined the Regular Force and continued to serve after the Second World War was over. In 1950 he was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment and commanded the regiment for a year during the Korean War.[ix] After serving his tour, he was reassigned to headquarters duty in Ottawa with the opportunity to be home for Christmas in 1951. Instead, Lt. Col. Keane refused to leave his battalion over Christmas. He felt that it was not fair that during this emotional time he should get to go home when the rest of his battalion was not offered the same opportunity.[x] When the Korean War was over, Lt. Col. Keane received a citation and the Order of the British Empire. In 1953 Lt. Col. Keane was promoted to the rank of Colonel and he continued to serve in varying capacities within the forces until he retired in 1965.[xi]

Col. “Bob” Keane seems to have lived a deliberate life throughout which he stood up for his values, fought for his country, and help those who needed him. In the end, he was diagnosed with cancer and after fighting just as valiantly as he had years before, eventually succumbed to the disease in August of 1977. According to a eulogy written about him after his death, “seemed to take almost a missionary fervor in helping people … he helped individuals get back on their feet who’d stumbled on the path of life, so to speak – as he himself had stumbled in drink, then regained his feet. He went to hospitals, helped alcoholics, assisted those who were broke and seeking to pull themselves back. It got so that individuals concerned about friends would ask Bob Keane if he could help. Keane never said no.”

Col. Keane’s funeral was held in Thunder Bay in 1977. The Lake Superior Regiment assisted and provided a firing party and his old comrades from the LSR(M) served as pallbearers.[xii] After the funeral, on Col. Keane’s request, his friend Colonel Frank Bayne flew over Hillcrest Park and scattered Col. Keane’s ashes to the wind.

The Uniform

Because we already know quite a bit about Col. Keane it is far easier to piece together the details of this uniform.

On the collar, we see the red gorget patches of a colonel.[xiii]

On the shoulders, we see the 2 pips and crown which indicate his rank of colonel.[xiv]

The uniform itself is a post Second World War example of Service or “walking out” dress and was particularly tailored for Col. Keane in 1957 by Jones, Chalk, and Dawson Limited.[xv] From what I could find, Jones, Chalk, and Dawson's history of high quality bespoke (traditional, measurement based) tailoring extends back to 1896.[xvi] They are located at 6

Sackville Road in London, England. This is just a short distance from Savile Row which is famous for its tradition of bespoke tailoring for men. Jones, Chalk, and Dawson Limited is particularly known for their bespoke military uniforms and the company is closely associated

with Meyer and Mortimore Tailors with whom they share the building. This uniform would then have been tailored specifically for Col. Keane based on his personal measurements. It is equally possible that Keane visited the tailoring shop in London to be fitted as it is that he met with the tailors in Canada as they have a history of visiting North America to meet clients.[xvii]

On the left breast we find his military honors and experience. The embroidered parachutist wings indicate that Col. Keane was a parachutist who had received Paratrooper Allowance for service on an operational airborne formation. [xviii] In fact, in 1942 he was given command of the Canadian contingent to the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion, First Special Service Force, otherwise known as the infamous Devil’s Brigade.[xix]

The medals present are as follows. Some of them I have already detailed in “Action from Knowledge” and therefore will skip over their explanation here.

Top left: Distinguished Service Order[xx] - this medal was awarded to Col. Keane to recognize his commendable service during the Second World War.

Top middle: Order of the British Empire[xxi] - this medal was presented to Col. Keane in 1952 after his term in Korea.[xxii] There are multiple levels of this award and Keane was awarded with the Officer Order of the British Empire for services to the Empire.

Top right: 1939 – 1945 Star[xxiii]

Middle left: France and Germany Star[xxiv]

Middle 2nd left: Defence Medal[xxv]

Middle 2nd right: Canadian Volunteer Service Medal[xxvi]

Middle right: War Medal 1939 - 1945[xxvii] - the single oak leaf is worn to signify that Col. Keane was mentioned in dispatches.

Bottom left: Canadian Korea Medal[xxviii] - this medal was awarded to those who served at least one day in the strength of an army unit in Korea (the same medal was awarded to RCAF and Navy members who had equivalent service in their respective regiments).

Bottom 2nd left: United Nations Service Medal (Korea)[xxix] – this medal was awarded for spending a combined total of at least 30 days on official visits to the qualifying area between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954.

Bottom 2nd right: Canadian Efficiency Medal[xxx] - this medal was only awarded until 1942. It was awarded for the completing 12 years of service in the non-permanent active militia.

Bottom right: Canadian Forces Decoration[xxxi] - this medal was awarded to Col. Keane for completing 12 years of service in the Canadian Forces.

On his service cap, the cap badge of the lion standing upon the crown was used during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and indicates his rank of Colonel.

While sometimes it is impossible or very difficult to find out more about who owned the uniforms in the Museum’s collection, it is extremely rewarding and exciting when it is possible to fill in the full history of the uniform. As it is in this case, we are lucky to have this piece of Canadian and Thunder Bay Military History in our collection. Not only does this uniform represent Canada’s involvement in the Second World War and the Korean War but it specifically represents the life and experiences of Colonel Robert Angus Keane.

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Once again, a special shout out to Dr. David Ratz, CD, PhD and Capt. George Romick OStJ, CD3 from the Thunder Bay Military Museum for their help and support with this post.

Sources

The Distinguished Service of Colonel Robert Keane

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