Rod Keller

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Rod Keller addressing his troops, August 2, 1944

Major General Rodney Frederick Leopold Keller CBE (born October 2, 1900 in Tetbury , Gloucestershire , † 1954 in Normandy ) was an officer in the Canadian Army , who rose to division commander during World War II . He commanded Canada's 3rd Infantry Division , tasked with capturing Juno Beach as part of the Normandy landing on D-Day , June 6, 1944 .

youth

Rod Keller entered the Royal Military College of Canada military school in Kingston , Ontario towards the end of World War I. After graduation, he joined the 'Princess Patricia's Light Infantry', one of the regiments of the 'Canadian Permanent Force'. Like many other promising Canadian officers at the time, he attended Staff College Camberley in England.

Military service

When Canada entered World War II, Keller was sent across the Atlantic with the rank of brigade major. In 1941 he rose to the command of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and a few months later was appointed commander of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade. Keller was promoted to major general and served as General Officer Commanding of the 3rd Infantry Division from September 8, 1942 to August 8, 1944.

Major-General Keller was popular with his troops. They liked his demeanor and the way he spoke plainly. A drinking problem and several violations of safety precautions before D-Day cost him the reputation of his officers and his crew. His troops suffered heavy losses on landing at Juno Beach.

During the first month in Normandy, Keller appeared "jumpy and high strung". His direct superiors in the 1st British Corps and in the British 2nd Army considered him unsuitable to command the division. On July 13, Keller admitted his tension and made an offer to resign. Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds , who was scheduled to command the Second Canadian Corps as soon as it was active in Normandy, declined Keller's offer of resignation so as not to further reduce the troop's already low morale.

During the Battle of Caen, Keller handled Operation Windsor weakly: he sent a reinforced brigade to conduct a divisional operation and delegated the planning to one of his brigadier generals.

Although there were continued complaints from superiors and staff, Simonds and General Henry Crerar , who was also an admirer of his , refused to fire him. On August 8, Keller was wounded by friendly fire : US bombers accidentally threw a carpet of bombs on his divisional headquarters during Operation Totalize .

Keller no longer received an active military command. He died ten years later while visiting Normandy.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Brian Reid: No Holding Back .
  2. ^ CP Stacey : Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War Volume II: The Victory Campaign.
  3. Jump up ↑ Mark Zuehlke: Breakout from Juno: First Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign, July 4 . 2011/2012, page 117
personal data
SURNAME Basement, Rod
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Keller, Rodney Frederick Leopold
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian officer, most recently major-general in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH Tetbury , Gloucestershire
DATE OF DEATH 1954
Place of death Normandy