220392 Pte. John Keegans British Army 7th Btn. South Lancashire Regiment from:Aintree, Liverpool Jack Keegans, a labourer gardener enlisted on 12th Aug 1915, his service number being 31101, with the 21st Battalion, King's Liverpool City Regiment John says his age is 19 yrs old and 1 mth though his actual age was 17 yrs old and 1 mth. He was the son of John & Jane Keegans, of 85 Kingswood Avenue, Aintree, Liverpoool his father was a potter printer in Melling. John was born July 1898 in Glasgow. John transfers to 3rd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment on 4th May 1916.
On 21st May 1916 John was posted to 6th Bn, SLR who were in Mesopotamia though returned 6th Nov 1916 back to 3rd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment due to contracting malaria. On 29th Apr 1917 John got posted to BEF, France initially to the depot then on 2nd May 1917 11th Bn, (Pioneer) SLR followed by a posting to 7th Bn, SLR on 23rd May 1917.
John was involved in the Battle of Messines as part of 56th Inf Bde, 19th (Western) Div who were facing 2nd (East Prussian) Div. John came through the battle unscathed though I don't know what company he was in. John was involved in the 3rd Battle of Ypres being wounded in action with a wound to his left leg (either a gun shot wound 31st Jul 1917 or a sharpnel wound 1st Aug 1917 as I have two pieces of information that dispute this). John was evacuated back to the UK 5th Aug 1917.
John transfers on 21st Dec 1917 to the Royal Tank Corps for the good and benefit of the army service. He was posted to 12th(L)Bn, RTC on 28th Dec 1917 and was involved in the 100 days offensive, being promoted to L/Cpl on 10th Sep 1918. He was demobbed from service 31st Mar 1920.
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