Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Keene Lieut. Col. L. Keene From a photograph of 1 Canadian Base Depot taken in 1940 Before being posted to the UK to command 1 Canadian Base Depot, Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Keene of Oakville, Ontario was in Brampton, Canada, leading The Active Service Force. There he took charge of a project to promote an improved, healthier diet for the ordinary Canadian soldier. The project was conducted as an experiment "during the food administration course of the Lorne Scots at Brampton Armories", and reported in the 'The Globe and Mail' (Canadian newspaper) in October 1939 under the heading, "COOKS' SCHOOL MAY REVAMP DIET OF ARMY - Brampton Experiment Attempt to Improve Nutrition of Troops" "Weapons and fire-power of the modern army have improved four and five - fold. Individual soldiers are more skilled than in the Great War. Therefore, their good health is more important than ever. Why not a corresponding improvement in feeding the troops, Lieut-Col Louis Keene, who commands the Active Service Force unit here, argues?" [...] Assistance of many Toronto dietetic authorities has been enlisted for the crusade, and lectures have been given by nationally known experts." Keene and other "sponsors of the movement" were hoping that this venture could be "put into effect in Canada and at the rest camps and bases, so that the soldier would have a health reserve to stand him in good stead when later he is placed where emergency diets are necessary." FD Van Luven, The Globe and Mail - 26 October 1939 ********** Throughout his army career Keene was an avid artist, using watercolour, ink and pencil, and India ink and chalk to create his pictures. They range from scenes he completed in Siberia during WWI (Canadian Expeditionary Force) to WWII paintings inspired by events in Surrey, UK (The Lorne Scots). When Keene was stationed at Tweedsmuir Camp during the Second World War, he permitted a few of his paintings to be exhibited in Thursley village (in close proximity to the camp) in aid of the roof fund for St Michael's church, Thursley. The advertisement for this event read, "Exhibition of War Paintings by Lt. Col. Louis Keene, Lorne Scots Regiment, At Thursley Vicarage. THURSDAY NEXT, OCTOBER 15 in aid of Thursley Church Roof Fund. Admission 11.00 am to 1.00 pm and 2.30 pm to 6.00 pm 11.00 - 1.00 - 2 shillings and 6 old pence (17.5 new pence Sterling) 2.30 - 6.00 - 1 shilling (5 new pence Sterling). Surrey Advertiser and County Times, 10 October 1942 Many of Keene's works are held at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC). The reader may view these by clicking the "Civilization" graphic to the right. Note: When on the CMCC website, use the 'search' link half way down the home page. In the 'Keywords' box, type in the name louis keene and press return. The following five prints are monochrome copies of Lt. Col. Keene's paintings. They are from a book entitled War Sketches held by the Lorne Scots Regiment in Canada. We are grateful to Major (Retired) Albert Goodman who, on behalf of the regiment, has given us permission to use them on the Tweedsmuir Camp website. Click each print for a larger image. "Start of the Adventure" (HMT Aquitania leaves Halifax, Canada - January 1940) The detachment of Lorne Scots commanded by Lt. Col. Louis Keene left Canada for the UK towards the end of January 1940. The scene depicted in this painting illustrates their journey. "Heavenly Scriblling" (Thursley, Surrey 1942) A scene painted by Keene while serving in Tweedsmuir Camp. "Laying Smokescreen"(Preparing for Dieppe) The attack on Dieppe took place on 19 August 1942. As Keene was commanding Tweedsmuir at that time he would have completed this painting in the camp, looking due north. From the scene, his easel would have been set up on the western edge of the parade ground. "Patterned in Surrey and 20th Century Illumination" Although the location of this scene is uncertain, the building (possibly Dye House) in this painting suggests it could have been inspired by a setting Keene viewed from the southern part of Tweedsmuir Camp. "Ludgate Hill" Ludgate Hill is west of St Paul's Cathedral, London. Keene may have witnessed this scene while on a visit to Canadian Military Headquarters (CMHQ), South West London. ********** On 10 September 1940, 'The Globe and Mail' reported an event hosted by Sir Archibald Weigall, former Governor of South Australia. During 1940 Weigall was commanding a 500 strong volunteer Home Guard force from his "mansion headquarters" in the UK. Keene and his Lorne Scots detachment had often given "their spare time to training" the Home Guard unit on Sir Archibald's estate. Weigaill's estate was in Englemere, Ascot, Berkshire, UK. The newspaper disclosed that Lt. Col. Keene's detachment of Lorne Scots had "been 'adopted' by Princesses Helena Victoria and Marie Louise, grandaughters of Queen Victoria. [...] "The princesses saw [the officers] gather regularly for conferences, [...] sat in on lectures and from a balcony watched the men on field exercises and patrols amid the flowers, shrubs and woods of the broad estate." On this particular occasion, as the Princesses waited for proceedings to begin, Colonel Keene "marched his Canadians briskly passed. They halted in front of their distinguished audience and gave the Royal salute. The Princesses accepted an invitation to inspect the men and stopped to chat with several of them, inquiring about their experiences in England. The inspection over, the Canucks, under the direction of Regimental Sergeant Major WT Palmer, gave a brief display of squad and musketry drill. [...] Later the Princesses posed with the men for a group picture and the following officers of the party were presented to them: Major RW Lent, Captain GP Doty, Captain DC Heggie (Medical Officer) and the padre of the unit Captain GW Bullock." Edwin Johnson, The Globe and Mail, 10 September 1940 It is testament to Colonel Keene's military professionalism that on 16 August 1940 Weigall took the time to write personally to Brigadier Montague at CMHQ, expressing his gratitude for Keene's "individual interest" in the Home Guard activities. ********** On 20 March 1943 'The Hamilton Spectator' (Canadian newspaper) announced that NDHQ had promoted Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Keene to full Colonel, with address of his next of kin. Hereafter Keene has been referred to as Colonel Keene of Oakville, Ontario. Reporting in the Spectator on 4 December 1944 Doug How, Canadian War Correspondent, stated that Keene's promotion, in February 1943, made him the highest ranking Lorne Scots Officer serving in western Europe. Under the headline "Puncher Brings 733 Servicemen Back to Canada", 'The Globe and Mail' disclosed on 4 September 1945 that Col. Keene, "a member of the famed Lorne Scots", had returned to Canada. He was never to set foot in Tweedsmuir Camp again. (Puncher was a Canadian auxiliary aircraft carrier.)