Captain Keith Peter Hoare was born on 8 January 1921.Son of Lieut.-Commander. Keith Robin Hoare, D.S.O., D.S.C., Royal Navy, and Brenda Hoare, of of Little Ellers, Portinscale, Keswick.
Educated at West Downs Prep School, Winchester, Hampshire, and Sherborne School (Westcott House) September 1934-March 1939, where he was a member of the 6th form (Army Class), a House Prefect, and a Sergeant in the OTC.
Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Keith served as a captain in 44th Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (RAC), BEF during World War II.
He was killed in action on the approach to Avola Beach, Sicily. He was only 22 years old.
The Shirburnian, July 1945:
'Keith Peter Hoare came to Sherborne in 1934 and entered the last pre-war Sandhurst in 1939. On passing out of Sandhurst he joined the 43rd Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment.
He went out to the Middle East and was killed when landing on the south coast of Sicily shortly after the invasion of the island began.
He was a House Prefect, won his House Cap for football and was a good swimmer. He combined utter fearlessness with a gentleness and simplicity which were the hallmarks of a fine character.'
Letter from Keith Peter Hoare, 43rd Bn. Royal Tank Regiment, Welbeck, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, to R.S. Thompson (his housemaster at Sherborne School), 23 May 1942. Would like to visit Westcott House during his 14 days embarkation leave prior to leaving for the Middle East. Letter from Commander K.R. Hoare, 8, Victoria Park, Dover, to R.S. Thompson, 5 July 1942. Peter enjoyed his visit to Sherborne for which he has a very genuine regard and is delighted that Thompson thinks well of him. Peter was supposed to be heading for North Africa, but is currently in the Tidworth area. Letter from Commander Robin Hoare to R.S. Thompson, 20 September 1943. Thanks Thompson for his kind letter. Peter's death 'has been a grievous blow to us both and the fact that the boys was carrying out his mission in life does not really soften it much.' The chaplain attached to Peter's battalion told them that as far as he had been able to ascertain the tank landing ship or craft was shelled when approaching the Avola Beach on 10th July and the whole of the tank crews were wiped out. Peter was buried in the cemetery not far from the beach. He will ask his wife to send Thompson a photograph. Letter from Mrs Brenda Hoare to R.S. Thompson, 1 October 1943. Peter's death has been a ghastly blow. He was so simple and so natural and never known to grumble, always content with anything that came along.
Find Grave, 2026-01-27
