Victor Charles Joseph KEYS

Victor Charles Joseph KEYS Update Details

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KEYS, Victor Charles Joseph

Service Numbers:	S7606, NX107702 N19793, S/7606
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:	Swept overboard by a huge Squall, At sea (HMAS Nizam), 11 February 1945, aged 24 years
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God" Plymouth Naval Memorial Plymouth, Plymouth Unitary Authority, Devon, England Panel 95 Col 3
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
22 Jul 1942:	Involvement Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Sergeant, NX107702 N19793, 1 Corps of Signals
22 Jul 1942:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (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.

Biography 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.

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