Private Walter Keevil Devonshire Regiment A Military Record and search for relatives
Battlefield Sleuth Series – April 2020
Tim Bell
Military Record and Search for Family Walter Keevil was born in Fulham and remained there throughout his childhood. He was the son of a London Cab Driver. Walter attested in the Middlesex Regiment at the age of seventeen and was promptly discharged underage. In the fervour for recruitment, Walter re-enlisted in the 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment in June 1915, still prior to his eighteenth Birthday. The 9th Devonshires served in the 1916 Battle of the Somme and Walter was wounded twice. He returned to duty in Bulgaria and South Russia, contracting Malaria and leaving the Army in August 1919. Walter was employed as a Hairdresser. He married and had one son. The family lived in Winchmore Hill, Enfield, Middlesex. Walter’s son Gordon died in 2008. No beneficiaries were identified for his Estate. Walter’s service mementos were salvaged prior Gordon’s house clearance. We’re seeking to return some of the mementos to family members, or the Devonshire Regiment Museum.
Private 15988 Walter Kevill’s Service Medals
Index
Early Life Army Service in the Great War Post War Life Seeking Keevil Family Members Battlefield Sleuth Series
Battlefield Sleuth Series – April 2020
EARLY LIFE Walter Keevil was born in Fulham on 7 July 1897. He was the son of William Lewis and Anna (Hannah) Jane Keevil – nee Bricknell. His parents had married at St John’s Church, Fulham in 1893. William was employed as a Cad Driver. Walter’s elder sister Florence Bertha had been born in 1895. A younger brother, Charles Arthur, was christened in 1903, who seemingly died in infancy. He started his education in April 1903. He joined Munster Road School in Fulham, at the age of five. The Keevil family were then living at 30 Kilmaine Road, Fulham.
86 Bonsart Road. Not W Keevil’s Cab © Google
30 Kilmaine Road © Google
Walter subsequently joined Lillie Road Primary School in in 1905 and subsequently attended the local Boys High School. In 1911 the Keevil family had moved to 86 Bronsart Road, Fulham. Walter started working as a Hairdresser after leaving school and remained living with his parents and sister at Bonsart Road.
ARMY SERVICE IN THE GREAT WAR Walter Keevil enlisted in the 17th (Service) Battalion Middlesex Battalion on 25 May 1915 and received the Regimental Number 1541. He claimed to have been 19 years old, yet hadn’t yet reached his 18th Birthday. The minimum age for Army service was 18; and 19 for overseas service. The authorities clearly found out and Walter was discharged after two days for “Having made a misstatement as to age.”
Walter’s Devonshire Regiment Cap Badge
training at Haslemere, Surrey when Walter arrived. 9th Battalion embarked for the British Expeditionary Force in France on 28th July 1915, joining 20th Brigade of 7th Division with their 8th Battalion. As Walter had not completed his training, he remained in England and probably joined 11th (Reserve) Battalion.
Footballers Battalion Recruitment Poster
Walter will have temporarily returned to his job as a Hairdresser. He had Attested and undertaken a Medical at Chelsea Town Hall. This found Walter was 5’ 4 ¼” tall, weighed 100 lbs and had good physical development. 17th Middlesex was known as the Footballers (Pals) Battalion Walter re-enlisted in the 9th (Service) Devonshire Regiment in June 1915, still prior to celebrations of his 18th Birthday on 8th July. The Devonshires recruitment in their home County was more limited and their Recruiting Sergeants must have been less stringent than the Middlesex Regiment. 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment was one of Kitchener’s Service Battalions. Formed in Exeter in September 1914, the Battalion was
The 9th Dorsets fought in the Battle of Loos in September 1915, suffering 476 casualties, from an establishment of approximately 1,000 men. Reinforcements were required and Walter disembarked in France on 6 October 1915. Moving from Givenchy to the Somme sector of the Western Front, Walter will have been introduced to the discomforts of winter
German trenches defending Mametz, © IWM Q43552
in the trenches of the Western Front.
“The Somme remained a relatively quiet sector until the offensive began on 1st July 1916.
The Devonshires held this trench. The Devonshires hold it still.�1
On that morning the 9th led the attack towards Mansel Copse, where well-placed machine guns, whose crews had survived the preliminary bombardment, cut down hundreds of advancing men. Two companies of the 8th Devons followed and met the same fate.
Devonshires Cemetery Memorial. Courtesy Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Walter is recorded as being wounded on 1st July 1916. We don’t know the severity of his injuries, or how long that he was away from the line being treated. 9th Devonshires took part in subsequent attacks at Bazentin on the night of 13th July and undertook another assault on 19th/20th July 1916. By the end of July it is recorded the 8th and 9th Devonshires 1,137 casualties.2
1916 Trench Map showing Mametz & Mansel Cope. British trenches in Blue. German in Red.
By noon survivors of both Battalions were scattered across the battlefield. At 1530 hours the final company of the 8th Devons were ordered forward. Their commander, Eric Savill, realising what had happened to the other companies of both Battalions, found a route that avoided the machine guns and was able to occupy a stretch of German trench. On the 2nd the 8th Battalion beat off a German counter-attack and were able to advance. On the 4th the Padre of the 8th Devons, Capt Crosse, buried 160 officers and men of both Battalions at Mansel Copse, erecting a plaque:
German trenches at Ginchy on 3/9/1916. The Devons attacked from the West. 1
https://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/history/firs t+world+war/the+devonshire+regiment/the+eight h+and+ninth+battalions 2 Ibid 1
Further records confirm Walter had returned to duty with 9th Battalion in September 1916. “In early September the 9th lost heavily again from heavy shelling during an attack near Ginchy. In three days the 9th lost 730 casualties.”3 Walter was wounded for a second time at Ginchy. He was invalided home and remained in hospital for three month. Walter retained a bullet with his military possessions.
part of the Balkan campaign. The Devonshire Regiment didn’t serve in the Balkan Campaign, which suggests that Walter must have been transferred to another [unidentified] Regiment in Salonica. Anecdotally he served in the 27th Division. The Divison served to the end of the Salonica Campaign when hostilities with Bulgaria ended on 30 Septemeber 1918. They moved to Constantinople [Instanbul] on 19 December 1918 and Tiflis [Tiblisi, Georgia] in January 1919.
Battle of Ginchy. Supporting troops move up in single file to support the attack, 9th September 1916. In the foreground a soldier ducks as an explosion occurs on the left. © IWM (Q 1302)
The Bullet appears to be a used copper jacketed [Full Metal Jacket] lead round. The spiralled grooves from the rifling are evident. It was probably the cause of one of Walter’s wounds and retained as a memento after removal. Walter was evacuated home, for treatment and recuperation.
Walter’s spent German 7.92mm Machine Gun Round
The National Roll4 records that Walter was drafted to Salonica and served in the latter 3
Ibid 1 The published Medal Roll which solely records th Walter’s service with the 9 Devonshires.The 4
Ajarian soldier with men from a Highland Regiment Batum. © IWM Q54834
Walter is reported as serving at Batum, on the Black Sea coast of South Russia, where 27th is confirmed as being disbanded in September 1919. The British Army had taken contol this Region of the Balkans in early 1919. Batum had challenges for control from a Democaratic Georgian Government, independent Ajarians, the Ottomans and Soviet Russia. Batum was ceded to Georgia in July 1919.
National Roll of the Great War was compiled by subscription. It is renowned for inaccuracies and is unreliable as a single historic source. Walter’s discharge in August 1919 firmly indicates he continued to serve oversea after 1916.
Walter contracted Malaria serving in the Balkans. He returned home and was transferred to Army Reserve on 18 August 1919. There is no record of an Army Pension, indicating Walter had recovered from Malaria. He was 23 years old and had served more than four years in the Army. Walter received his trio of Medals, known as Pip, Squeak & Wilfred.
POST WAR LIFE Walter Keevil returned to London and presumably lived with his mother5 and sister and re-started his work as a Hairdresser. He was resident at 86 Bronsart Road in 1919-20. Walter married Henrietta Maria Lasham at Holy Trinity Church in Hawley, Surrey on 7 May 1921. Henrietta was more than ten years older than Walter, having been born on 3 April 1887.
Walter Keevil’s 1914-15 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medals Before Action - by William Noel Hodgson MC of the 9 Devonshires
th
Holy Trinity Church, Hawley By all the glories of the day And the cool evening's benison By that last sunset touch that lay Upon the hills when day was done, By beauty lavishly outpoured And blessings carelessly received, By all the days that I have lived Make me a soldier, Lord. By all of all man's hopes and fears And all the wonders poets sing, The laughter of unclouded years, And every sad and lovely thing; By the romantic ages stored With high endeavour that was his, By all his mad catastrophes Make me a man, O Lord.
Walter and Henrietta’s only child Gordon Lewis Montieth Keevil was born in Fulham on 7 January 1923. The 1935-39 Electroral Rolls show the family living at 774A Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill. This a maisonette over retail premises at 774 Green Lanes owned by Frank Hibbert
I, that on my familiar hill Saw with uncomprehending eyes A hundred of thy sunsets spill Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice, Ere the sun swings his noonday sword Must say good-bye to all of this; – By all delights that I shall miss, Help me to die, O Lord. Written on 30 June 1916, just two days before his death. The Keevil Family Home at 774 Green Lanes ©Google 5
Walter’s father had died in Q2 1918
Eastman. One may speculate that Walter worked in Mr Eastman’s premises as a Hairdresser.
Gordon’s Silver Jubilee Medal
All children in Middlesex received a medal in 1935, in celebrawtion of the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. By 1939 the Keevil family had moved to Winchmore Hill and lived at 47 Queens Avenue. Walter was still a Hairdresser and 16 year old Gordon was employed as a Junior Clerk for a Removal Contractors. There is no evidence Gordon Keevil served in WWII. He was the correct age for conscription and may have held a reserved occupation. The Electoral Roll shows the family had moved to 19 Queens Avenue by 1945 and remained there in 1965.
The Keevil Family Home at 53 Queens Avenue ©Google
Walter’s died at Edmonton, in transit to North Middlesex Hospital on 22 December 1966, aged 69. Henrietta died at 53 Queens Avenue on 17 September 1977, aged 90. This property backs onto 774 Green Lanes and was probably purchased by the family for convenience. It is also possible that street numbering was changed and the family had lived in this house for many years. Gordon Keevil is shown as living at 53 Queens Avenue 2003-2008. Gordon died on 17 May 2008.
Gordon’s Air League Badge
SEEKING KEEVIL FAMILY MEMBERS When Gordon Keevil passed away he had still been resident at 53 Queens Avenue, Winchmore Hill. The house was held on a 99 year lease from June 1912 at £5 per annum ground rent. As no Beneficiaries were identified for Gordon’s Estate, the lease was a allowed to expire and revert to the freeholder in 2011. The Freeholder’s agent and Government arranged for thr house to be cleared and the medals and momentoes were recovered for safe keeping. Heir Hunters televsion programme has featured Gordon’s estate and no living relatives were found. As Great War researchers, I’ve also looked for Gordon’s family, so his father’s medals can be passed to a suitable home. A Claim on Gordon’s £20,000 Estate can no longer be made. Gordon had never married and had no children. His sister Beatrice married a Mr JM, but the couple had no children. Florence died in Fulham in 1962. Gordon’s grandfather, Williiam Lewis Keevil had at least three brothers and one sister. Eldest brother Frederick emigrated to the United States. He married and had ten children. Frederick died a year before William on 22 December 1919. Little has been found of the first son, Fredeerick. Second son William Thomas was drafted to the United States Army and died in 1919. Third son John Howard also served in the United States Army. He married and had three children. The eldest, John Howard Keevil lived in Delaware, Pennsylvania from 1946-2004. It appears John has surviving children.
Keevil Family Jewellery
BATTLEFIELD SLEUTH SERIES 17th Battalion Manchester Regiment on the Somme A website about my grandad’s service in the Battle of the Somme with the 2nd Manchester Pals. https://17thmanchesters.wordpress.com/ The Steel Helmet Film - Montauban 1st July 1916 A film with contemporary drone footage, archive photos and original interviews recounting the Manchester Pals on First Day of the Battle of the Somme. https://vimeo.com/140211157 Manchester Co-op's Battle of the Somme Recruitment and Losses in the Battle of the Somme, using the Case Study of Co-Operative Wholesale Society Head Office in Manchester. https://issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/cws _manchester_and_1914_recruitment Machine Gun Corps at Montauban supporting 17th Manchesters issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/machine_gu n_corps_at_montauban Two Men in the 2nd Battle of Ypres. King's Own Lancasters and Hampshire Regiment A search for lost relatives commemorated on the Menin Gate. https://issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/two _men_at_the_2nd_battle_of_ypres Military Biography of Captain R Mansergh MC - 2nd Manchester Pals issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/captain_rob ert_forbes_mansergh_mc Military Biography of Captain John Edward Brown Served in Victorian Rifle Volunteers, East Yorkshire Regiment and Army Cyclist Corps. https://issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/john _edward_brown
Military Biography of the Marillier-Miller Family Three brothers who served in the Great War with the Manchester Regiment, Seaforth Highlanders, Machine Gun Corps and Royal Welsh Fusiliers. https://issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/mari llier_miller Lieutenant Joseph Cotterill. New commemoration of Army officer who died in 1914. https://issuu.com/battlefieldsleuth/docs/lieut enant_joseph_cotterill
GUEST BOOK | 17th Battalion Manchester Regiment on the Somme Comments, corrections or further thoughts are welcome via the Blog. https://17thmanchesters.wordpress.com/gues t-book/