Captain John H Keesey M.B. (Cantab.)

John Howard Keesey was the son of Capt. George Howard and Violet Keesey and the husband of Susette Keesey of Waterford, Irish Republic. He was granted a commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps and volunteered for airborne forces.

His Father, Captain G E Howard Keesey was an Assistant Master at Wellington College and was killed in action on the Somme, whilst serving with 8 Bn. Rifle Brigade on 24 August 1916, aged 30. He is buried at Serre Road Number 2.

Captain Keesey successfully completed parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 13 and joined 16 Parachute Field Ambulance. He took part in operations in Sicily, Italy and Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Capt Keesey was shot by a German sentry while attempting to escape from an ambulance train at Apeldoorn. He died, aged 28, in Stalag XIB at Soltau and was given a field burial in the local POW cemetery at Orbke, Germany. He was re-interred to Becklingen War Cemetery on 12 August 1946.

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