223696 Pte. John Gilleeney British Army 4th (Extra Reserve) Btn Kings Liverpool Regiment from:St. Helens, Lancashire My great grandfather, John Gilleeney, had previously fought in the Boer War as part of the 1st Bn Kings (Liverpool) Regiment and was injured during that campaign. He remained in the reserves until the 4th March 1914 when, aged 44, he enlisted in the 4th (Special Reserve) Battalion, Kings Liverpool Regiment. The reserve regiments consisted of many soldiers with experience of the war in South Africa.
In March 1915 the regiment was sent to France and assigned to the Sirhind Brigade of the Lahore Division. As part of the Sirhind Brigade the KLR served with the 1st Bn. Highland Light Infantry, 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, 1/1st Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) and 1/4th Gurkha Rifles.
John is reported as being injured during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle but he remained with the division until they were transferred, in February 1916, to the 98th Brigade of the 33rd Division. John was injured again in September 1917 and deemed unfit for active service and was transferred to the Labour Corps (413665). He served with the Labour Corps until given an honourable discharge on 6th March 1919.
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