More about John Jack Keillor
For reasons unknown John is not listed on the original Dundee Roll of Honour.
John Jack Keillor 146301 Royal Engineers
KEILLOR___Killed in action, on the 12th inst., John Jack Keillor, Pioneer R. E. (Chemists’ Section), aged 20 years, beloved younger son of William and Jane Keillor, Wellgrove, Lochee (West).
Dundee People’s Journal 28th July 1917
John was the son of William Keillor and Jane Keillor of “Wellgrove” 2 Wellgrove Terrace, Lochee West. The first intriguing element of his story is that at the tender age of 19 years he enlists, not in his home town of Dundee but in London. His occupation is given as scholar which offers possibilities; Was he staying with relatives or friends in London ? Was he studying in London ? but if so why is there no record of a London address. A minor mention in his Service Record shows he was a Science Student in Chemistry and he is indeed recruited as a Royal Engineer, (Chemist). It seems possible, perhaps even probable, that he may have been studying Chemistry at a London institution.
The next point of intrigue is in relation to his recruitment. He enlists on 11 February 1916 and is formally attested at the RE Depot in Chatham on 16 Feb 1916 which was by no means unusual what is indeed very unusual is that he deploys to the BEF on 29 February 1916 landing in France on 1st March 1916. In short as an untrained, militarily inexperienced 19 years old, he is enlisted, attested, trained and deployed to a war theatre in just 2 short weeks, A period of time in which he could barely have learned the rudiments of wearing uniform, let alone master the art soldiering.
However we can make sense of these seemingly intriguing factors.
Firstly he will have been studying in Dundee , specifically at University College Dundee, a college of the University of St Andrews where he was a student of science, (Chemistry). His photograph attached is from the University of St Andrews published Roll of Honour and Roll of Service 1914 – 1919.
He did in fact attend the Dundee recruiting centre on 7thFebruary 1916 in response to a War Office Notice, (copy attached), asking for men with training in Chemistry to volunteer for “special” service with the Royal Engineers. He underwent a medical in Dundee and on being found fit was given a travel warrant to London to present himself at Central Recruiting London at Great Scotland Yard which he duly did on 11 Feb from where he was sent to the Depot at Chatham on 16 Feb as we already know.
As to the brevity of a training period before deploying to France, it should be understood that he was recruited to an RE Special Brigade unit and his training for that Military Role took place at the Special Brigade Base Depot in France.
So what was the nature of this “Special Brigade” and what roll did it fulfil ?
It is well known that the Germans first use of chemical warfare, (Gas), occurred in 1915 on 22 April at the 2ndBattle of Ypres and whilst the allies recoiled in horror at this dramatic turn of events, they were not slow in developing an organised system of Chemical Warfare themselves which resulted in the formation of special companies to deliver allied gas on the enemy. So, in John Jack’s case he was initially trained at M Base in France then being posted to “O” Special Company RE of 4th Special Bn RE. During his time at the front he served in areas such as Arras, Bethune, and the general area of Beuvry, Cuinchy, Sains en Gohelle, Cambrin .
It was in the general area of Beuvry and Cuinchy John Jack was part of a working party placing Livens projectors, ( a form of mortar designed by RE Captain William Livens to launch cannisters of propellant and chemicals onto enemy positions). These could be placed singly or in rows and the war diary of “O” Company tells us that they were being placed in 50 to 100 projectors during the period in which John Jack was in the working party. (Photo of Livens Projector attached)
On the night of 12/13 July 1917 whilst working on placing Projectors and their base plates the War Diary tells us the enemy shelled the area killing two and wounding 2 others of the Working Party, John Jack being one of the two killed. He is interred in Cambrin Military Cemetery in Northern France. (Courtesy of Jim Flood)