Curtis Keeble
Encyclopedia
Sir Herbert Ben Curtis Keeble GCMG (18 September 1922 – 6 December 2008) was a British diplomat and Ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1978 and 1982.
He was born in Chingford
in 1922 and attended Clacton County High School before being accepted into Queen Mary, University of London
, where he studied Modern Languages. His studies were interrupted by World War II
, and he volunteered in 1941, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the Royal Irish Fusiliers
on February 20, 1943. He worked as an interpreter on various convoys, including one marked H9 carrying 2000 Russian refugees to Odessa
despite the fact that, at the time, he did not speak fluent Russian. It was later revealed that he should have been sent on a course to learn the language beforehand but never was due to a bureaucratic error, and as a result the men were "quite unmanageable" until the convoy reached Naples
and a Red Army
officer boarded.
Experiences with convoys during the war inspired Keeble to apply to join Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
, and he was accepted in 1947, and posted to Jakarta
as acting vice-consul despite the normal requirement for applicants to have a university degree. His main task while serving there was to decipher coded messages arriving from the British ambassador at The Hague
, something the staff did with only pencils and cipher books. In 1949 he returned to London, and on 2 March 1949 he formally relinquished his army commission, receiving the honorary rank of captain. In 1951 he was sent to the Berlin British Sector as deputy political advisor. In 1954 he was transferred yet again, this time to Washington to serve in the commercial department and again in 1958 back to London. In 1961 he was appointed head of the department negotiating the entry of Britain into the European Economic Community
, something that failed due to clashes with the French. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1970 New Year Honours
, at the time he was serving at the British High Commission in Australia.
In 1971 he returned to London again as assistant under-secretary and handled negotiations with Iceland
during the second Cod War. On 16 January 1974 he was posted again to East Germany as Ambassador, where despite requesting a subdued colour for his official car he was given one that was bright red. According to him this later proved key, however; when Leonid Brezhnev
was introduced to the British diplomatic staff he expressed amazement at Keeble's height (5 ft 9in) telling him it did not do justice to his country, but "the situation was rapidly restored by the red Daimler".
He was posted again in 1976 back to London, where he served as Chief Clerk at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
. On March 28, 1978 he was posted to Moscow as the British Ambassador to Russia, where he would form close ties with his opposite number, Andrei Gromyko
, and he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the Queen's Birthday Honours
. He retired in 1982, at which point he was given a tour of a private part of the Kremlin; a mark of the regard the Russians held him in. He was also promoted Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the Birthday Honours, and after retirement he continued to be involved in foreign affairs, serving as an adviser to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and from 1985 as chairman of the Great Britain-USSR Association. In 1985 he also became a governor of the BBC
, and from 1992 he served as chairman of the Foundation for Accountancy and Financial Management.
, a Member of Parliament; and Jane Keeble, who was killed on 12 July 1998 in a car accident..
He was born in Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
in 1922 and attended Clacton County High School before being accepted into Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he studied Modern Languages. His studies were interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and he volunteered in 1941, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Irish Fusiliers
Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Fusiliers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's , changed in 1920 to The Royal Irish Fusiliers...
on February 20, 1943. He worked as an interpreter on various convoys, including one marked H9 carrying 2000 Russian refugees to Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
despite the fact that, at the time, he did not speak fluent Russian. It was later revealed that he should have been sent on a course to learn the language beforehand but never was due to a bureaucratic error, and as a result the men were "quite unmanageable" until the convoy reached Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and a Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
officer boarded.
Experiences with convoys during the war inspired Keeble to apply to join Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
, and he was accepted in 1947, and posted to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
as acting vice-consul despite the normal requirement for applicants to have a university degree. His main task while serving there was to decipher coded messages arriving from the British ambassador at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, something the staff did with only pencils and cipher books. In 1949 he returned to London, and on 2 March 1949 he formally relinquished his army commission, receiving the honorary rank of captain. In 1951 he was sent to the Berlin British Sector as deputy political advisor. In 1954 he was transferred yet again, this time to Washington to serve in the commercial department and again in 1958 back to London. In 1961 he was appointed head of the department negotiating the entry of Britain into the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, something that failed due to clashes with the French. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1970 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, at the time he was serving at the British High Commission in Australia.
In 1971 he returned to London again as assistant under-secretary and handled negotiations with Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
during the second Cod War. On 16 January 1974 he was posted again to East Germany as Ambassador, where despite requesting a subdued colour for his official car he was given one that was bright red. According to him this later proved key, however; when Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
was introduced to the British diplomatic staff he expressed amazement at Keeble's height (5 ft 9in) telling him it did not do justice to his country, but "the situation was rapidly restored by the red Daimler".
He was posted again in 1976 back to London, where he served as Chief Clerk at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
. On March 28, 1978 he was posted to Moscow as the British Ambassador to Russia, where he would form close ties with his opposite number, Andrei Gromyko
Andrei Gromyko
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1987. In the West he was given the...
, and he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
. He retired in 1982, at which point he was given a tour of a private part of the Kremlin; a mark of the regard the Russians held him in. He was also promoted Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the Birthday Honours, and after retirement he continued to be involved in foreign affairs, serving as an adviser to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and from 1985 as chairman of the Great Britain-USSR Association. In 1985 he also became a governor of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and from 1992 he served as chairman of the Foundation for Accountancy and Financial Management.
Personal life
While serving in World War II, he met his future wife Margaret Fraser, with whom he had three daughters: Suzanne, a doctor; Sally KeebleSally Keeble
Sally Curtis Keeble is a British Labour Party politician, was the Member of Parliament for Northampton North from 1997 to 2010...
, a Member of Parliament; and Jane Keeble, who was killed on 12 July 1998 in a car accident..