John Keir
| John Lindesay Keir | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Matador |
| Born | 6 July 1856 |
| Died | 3 May 1937 Leamington |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1876–1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry 6th Division VI Corps |
| Battles/wars |
Boer War First World War |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches Médaille militaire Order of the Crown (Belgium) |
Lieutenant General Sir John Lindesay Keir, KCB (6 July 1856 – 3 May 1937) was a British Army officer during the Boer War and the First World War. After early service in the Royal Artillery, he commanded the 6th Division in the British Expeditionary Force when it was mobilised in 1914, and was later promoted to lead VI Corps on the Western Front. However, he was relieved of command in 1916 after a personal spat with his commanding officer, and forced to retire.
After being educated at Wimbledon School, Keir studied at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from where he joined the Royal Artillery in February 1876. He was posted to a Royal Field Artillery battery in India, and after six years was awarded his "jacket" and transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery. In 1884, promoted to captain, he returned to the RFA. He had become a skilled rider in the artillery, and whilst he was too heavy to compete in traditional horseracing, he participated in point to point racing and similar events. After attending the School of Gunnery he entered the Staff College in 1892, and passed out, newly promoted to major, to command a field battery in England. He later transferred back to the RHA, where he was commanding a battery at the outbreak of the Boer War in October 1899.
His battery was not sent out with the expeditionary force, and he remained at home during the early stages of the war. However, in early 1901 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and offered command of the 1st Battalion of the newly formed Imperial Yeomanry, volunteer mounted infantry being raised for service in South Africa. He commanded the battalion for several months along the Orange River, and in December 1901 was assigned to command the Royal Artillery Mounted Rifles, a similar force drawn from regular artillerymen; he remained with this unit until shortly before the end of the war, and received the brevet rank of colonel in the South Africa Honours list published on 26 June 1902. For his services in South Africa, he was mentioned in despatches (dated 8 April 1902) as well as awarded the Queen's medal with five clasps. Following the end of the war in June 1902, Keir returned to the United Kingdom in the SS Dunottar Castle, which arrived at Southampton in July 1902.
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