Lieutenant-Colonel K.D. Landell
Royal Canadian Dragoons

These incidents are just two of many by which Lieutenant-Colonel Landell, by his inspiring and cheerful leadership, his example and his disregard for his own safety, has been largely responsible for the successful operation of his regiment. As a result the morale and performance of his troops have been of the highest standard for the whole of his ten months tenure of command.

(D.S.O. citation, 4 Apr 1945)

Born in Toronto on 2 November 1913, Keith Dalhousie Landell was a graduate of the University of Toronto and commissioned with the McGill Canadian Officer Training Corps. He mobilized with the Royal Canadian Dragoons and went overseas in 1941. By the time the unit deployed to Sicily in November 1943, had become second-in-command.

Landell succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel F.J. Bingham in February 1944 shortly after the unit moved to the Italian mainland. It served as the armoured car regiment for I Canadian Corps before a reorganization of the formation in July 1944. The RCD was attached to 1st Canadian Division as the reconnaissance regiment in the place of the Princess Louise Dragoon Guards which had converted to infantry with the 12th Brigade, 5th Division.

Landell commanded throughout the Italian campaign, for which he earned the Distinguished Service Order and Northwest Europe campaign for which he was made Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau by the Dutch government.

Landell returned to civilian life as an executive in the railway industry. He died in Montreal on 22 May 1970 shortly after participating in the 25th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands.