KEYS, Victor Charles Joseph
Service Numbers: | S7606, NX107702 N19793, S/7606 |
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Enlisted: | 22 July 1942, Raymond Terrace, NSW |
Last Rank: | Able Seaman |
Last Unit: | HMAS Nizam |
Born: | Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, 10 March 1920 |
Home Town: | Tamworth, Tamworth Municipality, New South Wales |
Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
Occupation: | Butcher |
Died: | Killed in Action, At sea (HMAS Nizam), 11 February 1945, aged 24 years |
Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cape Leeuwin "N" Class Destroyers Association Memorial Wall and HMAS NIZAM Cairn, Plymouth Naval Memorial to the Missing / Lost at Sea |
World War 2 Service
3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Able Seaman, S7606 | |
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22 Jul 1942: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Sergeant, NX107702 N19793, 1 Corps of Signals | |
22 Jul 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lance Sergeant, 1 Corps of Signals, Raymond Terrace, NSW | |
16 Nov 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, S7606, HMAS Nizam | |
11 Feb 1945: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, S/7606, HMAS Nizam |
Help us honour Victor Charles Joseph Keys's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Joseph Oswald KEYS, 8 Murray Lane, Tamworth, NSW
Vic was a good horseman, given his first pony by this father. He spent a lot of time riding and looking after horses. Vic was also a very keen bike rider and had much success in this field. Later his cycle club was to name a memorial after him. He was also great at bird collecting. He would spend hours making horsehair snares for them. His sister Doreen would accompany him on expeditions but was later banned because she would get the giggles and frighten the birds off.
Vic joined the army early during World War 2 and later transferred to the Navy because he said he would always be clean in the navy - he was a terrible 'Fuss Pot'.
Although the war years were very trying, they shared lots of fun and lots of sadness with families around them. On Feburary 11th, 1945 tragedty struck the family as the eldest brother Vic, then only 23 years old, while serving on the HMAS Nizam, was drownded at sea. Swept overboard by a freak wave and his body never recovered.
This loss took its toll on his mother who aged a lot after this sad event.