|
|
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Site Home
Help & FAQs
Features
Submissions
Information
Advertisements
World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. George Keeble
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
Pte. H. Keeble
British Army 14th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
(d.19th Dec 1915)
Harry Keeble was born in Bulwell, Nottingham in 1894 and always lived there. He was the son of William Henry and Emma Keeble and had brothers Lewis, Herbert and Frank and sisters Ethel, Annie and Vera. The family appear under the name Kable in the 1911 census. Harry was a mechanic making telephones.
His service record states that he was 20 when he enlisted at Nottingham in 1914. His religion was Wesleyan. He was 5' 4" weighing 120 lbs with fresh complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair. After enlistment he was stationed at Newcastle, Aylesbury, Halton Park, High Wycombe, Halton Camp.
Harry was killed in action. He is commemorated at Bulwell - Parish of St Mary the Virgin and All Souls, Memorial Wheel Cross. He is buried at Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery Ypres (Ieper) West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium.
Pte. William Arthur Keeble
British Army 1/24th Btn. London Regiment
from:Battersy
(d.8th Jun 1917)
William Arthur Keeble
British Army 1/24th Btn. London Regiment
from:Battersea
(d.8th Jun 1917)
Pte. Edward Thomas Keech
British Army 10th Btn. Machine Gun Corps
(d.2nd July 1918)
Private Edward Thomas Keech, born in Hardmeand, Buckinghamshire, enlisted Ampthill, Bedfordshire. Son of Mr. & Mrs. E.T. Keech of Lamport, Northampton. Initially served with the Bedfordshire Regiment (service no.23715) then served with the 10th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (service no.127051).
He died on 2nd July 1918 aged 20 years and is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany. He is remembered on both The War Memorial and The Alamada, St. Andrews Church, Ampthill.
Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
Able Seaman George Henry Thomas Keech
Royal Navy H.M.S. Coquette
(d.7th Mar 1916 )
Pte. George Keech
British Army 6th Btn. Leicestershire Regiment
(d.4th Nov 1917)
Private George Keech of the Leicestershire Regiment was my grandfather. He was a father of 4 and a wife named Ada. His 4 sons were named Lesley, Bernard, George and Walter. He lived in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire. His widow lived there the rest of her days untill her passing.
George was a member of the Northamptonshire Territorials. He went off to summer camp where he was shipped off to war. He came home once for rest period that was the last time he saw his children. My father was one year old at the time, he was three when my grandfather died.
Pte. Albert Keegan
British Army 1st Btn. Royal Irish Regiment
from:Hartlepool
Pte. Corn. Keegan
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Southmoor
Pte. James Joseph Keegan
British Army 3rd Dragoon Guards
(d.6th Nov 1914)
My dad's cousin, Private James Joseph Keegan, aged 28 (Service N. D/3698)who is buried in the Ypres Reservoir Cemetry was killed on the 06/11/1914, probably around Ypres. I'm curious to find out any information that might cast some light on what engagement the 3rd Dragoon Guards were involved in on that date in which he met his death
Pte. John Keegan
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Southmoor
(d.1st July 1916)
Named on Thiepval Memorial
Sgt. John Joseph Keegan
British Army 6th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:Queenstown, Ireland
Pte. Nicholas Keegan
British Army 7th/8th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers
(d.3rd May 1918)
Nicholas Keegan is buried in the north-east part of the Balrothery (St. Peter) Church of Ireland Churchyard, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
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.
Pte John Keeley
British Army 12th Btn King's Liverpool Regiment
from:Harpurhey Manchester
John Keeley was our paternal grandfather, but sadly died before I was born. He served with the 12th Battalion Kings Liverpool Regiment in WW1. I don't have any photos, but still have his war medals.
CSM. Ernest Keeling MC.
British Army 1st Btn North Staffordshire Regiment
Ernest Keeling was married to my great-aunt Annie (nickname Nance) nee Bayliss . She was one of 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls including my grandmother Ethel. The Bayliss family came from Park Village Wolverhampton but were originally from Wombourne Staffs.
Pte. George Frederick Keeling
British Army C Coy. 1st Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry
from:Essex
(d.10th Jul 1915)
George Keeling was my second cousin. He was born in Bermondsey, London in 1893, the son of Henry and Mary. In 1911 he was a tea packer. George was killed in action on 10th of July 1915, aged 21. He is buried in the First DCLI Cemetery, The Bluff near Ypres in Belgium.
Gunner Sidney Fleetwood Keeling
British Army 34th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:Stockport
(d.25th Dec 1915)
Sidney Keeling was my Granddad's brother. He died on Christmas Day 1915 aged 19 years.
Pte. James Keelty
British Army 1/6th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment
from:Leeds, West Yorkshire
(d.25th April 1918)
James Keelty went missing in action and was presumed to have died on the 24th of April 1918, he was 20 years old.
Pte. Frank Keen
British Army 8th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
from:Chapel Hse, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
(d.23rd October 1918)
Frank originally joined as a volunteer during the 1st World War with the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, his two elder brothers John and Joseph Keen already regulars in the regiment pre-war. Frank was gassed at one stage and was sent briefly back to UK for treatment then returned. His grave is in The Highland Cemetery at Le Cateau.
His brother John was part of the British Expeditionary Force the first of the British army to face and fight the enemy in Brussels. He served throughout the war and continued regular service into the 1930's, including duty in Ireland, India and conflict in Burma. He died of stomach cancer at home in 1958.
His brother Joseph was based in India on the outbreak of WW1 was sent to Mesopotamia, was one of many who surrendered under General Townsend at the Seige of Kut. He sadly died as a prisoner of war through illness. A memorial in Iraq bears his name.
Rifleman James William Keen
Army 21st Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps
from:22, Milton Rd., Herne Hill, London.
(d.14th Aug 1917)
In researching my family history I have discovered that James William Keen, of Camberwell, London, died aged just 20 in the Great War. James was the brother of my Great Nan, Lily. He served in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps 21st Battallion and is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as having died on the 14th August 1917. James was a Rifleman. His grave is at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery, although as someone whose knowledge of these things is very limited I don't know if that means that literally he is buried there or if the headstone is merely a memorial and that he lies elsewhere in an unknown grave.
My family history has led me to discover many sad stories, some of children passing in infancy, but it is James' death more than any other which reduces me to tears. I have made some enquiries online and it appears that James would have been engaged in battle at Passchendaele, about which I have learned a little more as a result. I am beginning to discover the full horrors of the first phase of the Battle of Ypres yet still I can barely take in what those poor men must have suffered.
I understand that there were no major battles on the 14th August 1917, which suggests, I'm told, that James may have died as a result of injuries sustained in the Battle of Pilckem or in the clearing operation following it. I shall probably never know how or why he died but if I can I should dearly like to find out as much as possible about the Kings Royal Rifle Corps during that time. A pacifist since my teens, I feel I owe it to all these men to understand the circumstances in which they lost their young lives and that my own children should be aware of how they suffered in order for us to have the freedom we take for granted. If anyone could help me in my quest to discover more I would be very grateful indeed.
Finally, I would just like to add that I learned that it must have been Passchendaele in which James died by posing a question on "Yahoo Answers". I got many replies, some far more detailed than one particular response, but it is that short one which will forever stick in my memory. The gentleman who answered said that he felt that Passchendaele was indeed the most likely, gave a little more information, then at the bottom added:
" R.I.P. James Keen, Soldier, 21st Batallion Kings Royal Rifle Group. WE WILL REMEMBER THEM."
Those few words, from a total stranger to a man I might have had the pleasure to have known and loved had the War not taken him from my family meant more than I can say. They may not have changed my beliefs as a pacifist, but I know that this November I shall, for the first time in 42 years, wear a poppy, and wear it with pride.
Cpl. Percy John Keen
British Army 216th (Nuneaton) Army Troops Coy. Royal Engineers
from:Chesham, Buckinghamshire
(d.4th June 1917)
A brief description of the manner of Percy Keen's death and an idea of the part that he might have played in the Great War, is described in the text of "With the Rank and Pay of a Sapper" by James Sambrook as described to him by his father Arthur, along with the memories of a handful of members of 216th (Nuneaton) Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers, according to their various diaries and written reminiscenses. "At the end of May the Company went to Neuve Eglise, where the eglise was only a rag of a tower. There they occupied a few huts in a large camp established near the remains of the village, on a hill overlooking the quaint old fashioned town of Bailleul to the west. Their eastward view was dominated by the not so quaint Wytschaete-Messines ridge, described by John Buchan at this time as, a low hillside seamed with white trenches, and dotted with the debris of old woods, a bald, desolated height, arid as a brickfield, rising from the rank grass and yellow mustard of no-man's land. The landmarks on it were the ruins of the White Chateau at Holbeke, the dust heap which once was Wytschaete village, and the tooth of the ruined church of Messines.
During the Great War the duties of the Royal Engineers were many and various not least in the course of preparations for the Battle of Messines. Among these was the construction of canvas reservoirs and the pipelines connecting them to the troops and services to the front line. The 216th had been sent to Neuve Eglise as part of the plan for the coming battle at Messines Ridge. They were placed at the disposal of the Chief Engineer of II Anzac Corps, whose headquarters was at Bailleul. They shared their present camp with a battalion of the 3rd Australian Division, commanded by Major-General Sir John Monash, a distinguished engineer in civilian life and one of the ablest new soldiers thrown up by the Great War. Monash was a careful planner and considerate commander, as too was the cautious, methodical, imperturbable General Sir Herbert Plumer, Commander in Chief of the Second Army of which II Anzac Corps now formed a part.
The 216th Company was kept busy on several projects. For about a fortnight before the attack, which started on 7th June, they laid corduroy tracks in places where the ground was soft. These were made of slabs, chiefly of elm or beech, ten to twelve feet long, one foot across, and three inches thick, cut by forestry companies of Royal Engineers in the rear areas. The ground was prepared by digging side drains and filling shell holes with the spoil and any available rubble and wreckage; four or five slabs were laid lengthwise as runners and the others, laid crosswise and spiked to the runners, made the surface; half-round pine logs along each edge made a kerb, intended to keep wheels on the track. The work was done at night, all materials cleared away and the track camouflaged before daybreak. In the unending struggle against mud and shellfire, which constituted warfare in Flanders, these rapidly laid timber roads were essential for the movement of ammunition, guns, rations and material.
Closer to zero day the 216th strung white tapes on stakes to guide the walking wounded back from the front-line trenches to the casualty clearing system, a couple of miles of reasonable track. The Company's main work, the work that Percy was involved in, as the author's father recalls, was to put in water pipes in readiness for the transport supply wagons of the division which would capture what was left of Messines after the mine beneath it had been exploded. The water supply for this was drawn from the reservoir the company had excavated on the reverse slope of Kemmel Hill and we put in stand pipes and wooden water troughs in places near the entrances to the communication trenches, which were not seen from the German lines. Water troughs were required for artillery and supply column horses and mules and for the cavalry.
The company laid two pipelines from the Kemmel Hill reservoir towards the ridge, one in the direction of Wytschaete, the other, further south towards Messines. The southern line went over very low ground, through Souvenir Dump, St. Quentin Cabaret, and Stinking Farm, where the land was so wet that trenches were, perforce, sandbagged breastworks built up above ground level and known as the Chinese Wall.
During May an artillery barrage was hurled against the German wire entanglements, roads, camps, and supply dumps, so that the ridge was steadilly stripped of any traces of summer greenery. From the end of the month the barrage became even more intense; then in the days before the infantry assault on 7th June, gas shells were sent over in order to compel the Germans to wear masks and lose sleep. Needless to say, the Germans responded in kind. Their guns were outnumbered by the great weight of artillery deployed by General Plumer but they still had excellent observation; they knew the roads and duckboard tracks along which men, ammunition, and supplies travelled at night; they duly dropped their shells along them, working backwards and forwards. Three days before the attack (Monday 4th June 1917) a section of the company, with a working party from the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade were carrying water pipes forward to Stinking Farm, on the front just below Messines village, when they were machine gunned from the German positions on the ridge as well as being shelled as usual: Corporal Percy Keen was killed and Sapper Gilmour was wounded. The party carried Percy's body with them when when they took cover behind the ruins of the farm buildings near to a communications trench, and then brought him back to camp on a stretcher. He was buried in a cemetery near Neuve Eglise next morning, sewn in his blanket. Percy had been invalided home after an accident the previous November and had returned to the Company at the end of January, thanks to a routine order which enabled men to return to their own unit.
At about 3.10 am on the morning of the 7th June the mine under Messines Ridge was blown (at that time the biggest bang in history) immediately followed by a massed artillery barrage all along the front line north of their position towards Ypres. The Battle of Messines was a complete victory, with its tremendous artillery bombardment and record explosion of land mines containing almost a million pounds of high explosive it was a triumph of organisation and of co-operation of the artillery and the engineers with the infantry and although Percy did not live to witness it the pre-arranged water supply was of great importance. In the months before the attack over 180 miles of pipeline were laid in the area of the Second Army, with reservoirs and pumping stations capable of supplying a million gallons of treated drinking water a day, together with half a million untreated gallons for animals."
CSM. Samuel Keen
British Army 9th Btn. Worcestershire Regiment
(d.25th Jan 1917)
He died during the Battle of Kut al-Amara in Iraq and is commemorated at the Basra Memorial.
Pte. B. Keenan
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Silksworth
Pte. J. Keenan
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Harton Colliery
Pte. James Keenan
British Army 6th Btn. Leinster Regiment
from:Baldoyle, Dublin
(d.9th April 1918)
Pte. John Keenan
British Army 2nd Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
(d.10th Mar 1915)
Pte. Joseph Keenan
British Army 1st Battalion Scottish Rifles
from:Glasgow
(d.14th April 1918)
Joseph Keenan served with the 1st Btn. Scottish Rifles.
Pte. Patrick Keenan
British Army 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers
(d.1st September 1916)
Private Keenan was 31 when he died and is mentioned on a special memorial in the Killeevan (St. Livinus) Catholic Graveyard, Co. Monaghan, Ireland.
L/Cpl. William Keenan
British Army 14th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles
from:Belfast
(d.16th Aug 1917)
Page 4 of 24
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
If so please let us know.
Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.
This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
The Wartime Memories Project Website
is archived for preservation by the British Library
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.
