Utterly Immoral? Robert Keable WW1 chaplain

What happened in France to lead a Cambridge-educated rising star of the Church of England to flee to Tahiti with his mistress? The Rev Robert Keable was chaplain in France to the appallingly treated men of the South African Native Labour Corps. His wartime experiences are interlinked with the story of the writing, publication, and reaction to his scandalous novel ‘Simon Called Peter’. Critics called it ‘offensive’, ‘a libel’ and reeking of ‘drink and lust’.

Despite this, the novel became a huge international best-seller and a Broadway play, making its author a celebrity. What critics did not know was that the novel, about a military chaplain and a young woman having an affair during the war, was autobiographical.

Simon Keable-Elliott has used letters, books, articles, interviews and a trip to Tahiti to produce a fascinating account of the remarkable true story of his grandfather, from his studies at Cambridge, to the horrors of the First World War. In the process he lost his faith and eventually escaped to Tahiti.

Members and non-members of The Western Front Association are equally welcome. Any new visitors are guaranteed a friendly atmosphere and a warm welcome from a group of like-minded enthusiasts.