Old Hulmeians War Memorial 1914

JAMES HOLDEN MCKEEVER

12 March 1882 - 20 September 1917

At School 1897 - 1898

Lieut 4th (attd 9th) Cheshire Regt

James was born in Wigton near Carlisle, Cumberland and in 1891, aged 9, was living at 26 Castle Street, Carlisle, with father John, a solicitor, mother Mary, three younger brothers, one younger sister and a domestic servant. In 1892 James entered Stonyhurst College but by 1897, the family had moved to Manchester and James joined the School in that year in the Classical Vth, after a time at St Bede's R. C. College. His three younger brothers also attended the School. In 1901 the family was living at 99 Princess Road, Moss Side by which time father John had become a barrister-at-law. At this time James was in South Africa, as a mounted infantryman, having joined the Bedfordshire Regiment in September 1898 giving his age as 18 years 0 months. James is described as being 5 feet 7 and 5/8 inches tall, weighing 11 stones 9 lbs with a chest measurement of 32 to 34 inches, a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. James was promoted to lance corporal in May 1900 and after service in the South African Campaign, was posted to India in March 1902. On 10th March 1904 James was invalided home and on 5th April was discharged at Netley Hospital, a military hospital near Southampton, having been found medically unfit for further service. James returned to Manchester and, after a year or so then embarked for French Guinea to work for a rubber company. Unfortunately ill health forced his return to Manchester a year later, where he obtained work as a clerk.

On the outbreak of war James rejoined the army as a Trooper in the Royal Horse Guards, however did not see any overseas service. In May 1915 he obtained a commission in the 4th Battalion Cheshire Regiment and on 5th May 1916 was appointed temporary Lieutenant on his transfer to the General List for duty as a Transport Officer attached to the Middlesex Regiment. On 5th February 1917 he transferred back to the Cheshire Regiment relinquishing his temporary appointment. On 26th June 1917 he left for France, joining the 9th Battalion on 4th July, part of the 58th Infantry Brigade, 19th Division. James was attached to B Company.

At this time the Battalion was resting at Rossignol Wood, on

the north east outskirts of Kemmel, some 6 miles south west of Ypres, following their involvement in the Battle of Messines in June. The Battalion was engaged in general training, bathing, sports and the provision of working parties for the Brigade. On 11th July the battalion relieved the 8th Gloucesters in Onraet Wood, 1 kilometre north of Wytschaete, and the support area, working on improvements to accommodation and battlefield salvage. On the 14th and 15th they moved into the front line, being subjected to very active shelling, to improve the trenches and link up the advanced posts and duck board the occupied portions. Attempts were made to push forward to take and secure Junction Buildings but despite initial success the Germans were able to retake the position and the Battalion was relieved on the 20th, moving back to camp near Mont Kemmel. For the rest of the month the Battalion was in reserve providing working parties and training. On the 26th, the Battalion received instructions for an offensive and on the 29th moved into support areas in preparation for an operation to be carried out by the 56th Brigade to the east of St Eloi.

This was the commencement of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, which lasted until November 1917, the purpose of which was to take control of the ridges to the east and south of Ypres. The map right shows the gains made during the battle. The 56th Brigade made modest gains and, although the Battalion was subjected to shelling, it was not required to assist in the advance. Working parties, however, were sent up for trench digging in the newly occupied territory. Conditions n the trenches were very bad, with incessant rain and heavy shelling. On 3rd August the Battalion moved up to the right sub sector of the line where the front taken over was held by a line of isolated posts with supporting platoons 150 yards in the rear. The time was spent consolidating the line and on the 5th the Battalion was relieved

and placed in Divisional Reserve at Irish Farm, between Wytschaete and Kemmel. From there they marched to camp at Bailleul and from there entrained for the Lumbres training area, some 10 kilometres south west of St Omer. The next two weeks were spent training, participating in Brigade and Divisional sports and inspections. Medals were also presented to the men and officers of the 58th Brigade in respect of recent actions. On the 29th the Battalion entrained back to the Bailleul area and continued their training at Berthen, practising for the forthcoming offensive they were due to take part in. Reinforcements joined the Battalion and officers visited the new front to reconnoitre the line. On 11th September the Brigade relieved the 112th Infantry Brigade in the line, the 9th Battalion Cheshire Regt. being in support. Working parties were provided, training continued and the Battalion spent some time in the support and front lines. On the 14th the Battalion was relieved and returned to the reserve areas. On the 15th the Battalion War Diary notes "Rest and clean up. From now onwards all time was devoted to making and completing arrangements for the Offensive." On the 16th, a voluntary Church parade was held and parties of Officers, NCO's and Scouts went up the line and reconnoitred tracks and approaches to Assembly positions. On the 17th a final Brigade practice attack was carried out and on the 18th the Battalion moved up to the front line. On the 19th final orders were received from brigade and issued to the Companies, the 20th being indicated as attack day. The 58th Brigade attacked on the right of the Division and the Battalion was on the left of the Brigade, the Divisional objective being to secure the right flank of the general attack of the Second and Fifth Armies and Belgian Wood was fixed as their final objective. At 8.30 p.m. the Battalion moved forward to the assembly positions on the left of Klein Zillebeke. Progress was slow and difficult over the uneven shell torn ground and at midnight a heavy drizzle came, which lasted until 5.00 a.m.

At a quarter past midnight a message was received from Brigade stating that zero hour would be 5.40 a.m. The War Diary states:- "The Battalion was to attack in two waves of two lines each and the four lines all formed up close behind one another. There was no cover or protection for the lines of assembled troops, who had to lie out in the open and unfortunately no Rum was issued. However silence was maintained and no movement made, the troops lying there confident and quiet. The night passed quite quietly until 5.40 a.m. when our artillery and machine gun barrage opened and the troops advanced to the attack - the four lines moving forward at once to clear the enemy barrage which came down within a few minutes of zero hour. Once clear of our front line, the lines corrected their distances and experienced no difficulty from enemy artillery but hostile machine gun fire was very heavy coming from the front and flank. Other than this, no opposition was met with, the intermediate objectives all being easily carried according to schedule time, only slight casualties were sustained and many Germans were killed and captured."

The advance from the intermediate objectives to the final objective commenced at 6.44 a.m. and was completed on schedule. However, more resistance was met with and the Battalion suffered much increased machine gun fire and enfilade fire, particularly on the right flank, where snipers' posts were also encountered. During this advance James received a mortal wound. He was taken to the Casualty Clearing Station but died of his wounds later in the day.

James had been promoted to Lieutenant on 1 July 1917 but it is not clear if notification of this reached the Battalion as the War Diary refers to him as a 2nd Lieut throughout. His promotion was gazetted on 13 November 1917, his entry merely noting "(since died of wounds)".

James was buried in Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Plot I, Row A, Grave 57.

Administration (with Will) was granted in London on 10 July 1918 to Mary McKeever (wife of John McKeever). Effects £63 11s 3d.

The Hulmeian - December 1917

Lieutenant J McKEEVER, Cheshire Regiment, died of wounds on September 20. He was at the School 1897-1898 in the Classical Vth. He served in the South African War, for which he held two medals. His brother, Geoffrey, is a second lieutenant in the Artillery.

The Stonyhurst Magazine, July 1918, and available online has additional information:

Lieut. JAMES H. McKEEVER. Cheshire Regiment. Born 1882. 0.S. 1892. Died of Wounds, September 21st, 1917. Lieutenant James McKeever came to us in 1892. He had been previously educated at the Grammar School, Carlisle, in the Preparatory form. He was a very good boy who enjoyed the confidence of his masters. When he left Stonyhurst he studied law for a short period, but in 1898 he enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment, and went to the' South African War in 1899. He was in the mounted infantry for two years, and had medals and bars for the three Colonies. From there he was sent to India, and was present at the Durbar. After eighteen months' service in India he was discharged, on account of his health, with a pension. The next fourteen months he spent with a mathematical tutor in Manchester, and then sailed. to Konakri, in French Guinea, in the service of a rubber firm. After a year he was compelled to return to England with fever. In his later life, before the war, he was chiefly engaged in insurance business and in wireless telegraphy.

He rejoined the Army when the war broke out, and ultimately received a commission in the Cheshire Regiment. The account of his death is given by the Catholic Chaplain, who writes :-" He is a loss to me, having been one of the few Catholic officers I have to help me in my work. On the morning of September 20th he was hit in the back, the wound being very serious and painful, paralysing his lower limbs. He never could have recovered. We got him to the aid post, fully conscious, and did all that was possible to allay his suffering. In addition, seeing his precarious condition, I did not hesitate to give him the last sacraments. We sent him down by ambulance to the casualty clearing station, only to learn next day that he had died shortly after admission. He was buried by a priest in a military cemetery not in reach of any destructive shells (at Outtersteene).

His C.O. writes : " He did very well in the battle, from all accounts, and then was hit by a sniper, after the position was captured. trying to clear some shell holes of the enemy, just in front of his company. I did not see him after he was wounded, but was told by the doctor that after seeing the priest he was greatly relieved and seemed quite contented. He was a good officer and did his duty. No man can , " do more.

A brother officer testifies : . . The sympathy of all the officers and his men go out to you in your suffering. He is a great loss to us all. and was always cheerful. and helped to brighten us all up when things looked blackest."

The C.O. of his Company also wrote testifying to the high esteem in which he was held by brother officers and men. and how reconciled he was to die when he had received the last sacraments. His mother kindly adds : . . I should like to say on my own account that he always loved and kept in touch with Stonyhurst. and all that was best and happiest in his life he owed to the Society. and. as you will see from the letters I send. the faith implanted in him enabled him to die a peaceful death."

And we may say that we are proud of this good and faithful son of Stonyhurst. and most of all because all his life he was such a thorough Catholic. This is the true test of a loyal son of Stonyhurst. We offer our sincere sympathy in their bereavement to his father and mother and family.

Old Hulmeians War Memorial 1914 - 1919