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Lieutenant
EDWARD OSBORNE BRICE KILLEN
Royal Engineers  

by

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, PE, MInstRE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  

Figure 1.  Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen, R.E.
(From an original photograph in the author’s collection)  

1.  INTRODUCTION  

            The principal references used in the preparation of this narrative were from a number of sources.  They include census records, official registries in the United Kingdom, medal rolls, family trees, campaign histories, Army Lists, internet web sites and The London Gazette.  All sources are contained in the REFERENCE section at the end of the narrative and are cited throughout in the ENDNOTES.

            Lieutenant Killen’s story is a sad one.  It is the story of a young 23-year old Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers who served in two of the most difficult campaigns of the Great War of 1914-1918; Gallipoli and Mesopotamia.  As with most casualties of the war, his story ends with his untimely death and this narrative is, per force, incomplete in many details since an official record of his service is not available at either the National Archives in London or the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow.  Despite this lack of information, every effort has been made here to tell his story as completely and as accurately as possible.  For the sake of brevity, Edward Osborne Brice Killen will be referred to as Edward or as Lieutenant Killen in the majority of this narrative.  

2.  FAMILY INFORMATION AND EARLY LIFE

Family Information[1]

Great Grandparents
            Edward’s great grandparents were John Killen (1767-1828) and Martha Killen, née Dool (1772-1851), both of Ireland.  John Killen died on the 5^th of May 1828 in Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland.  Martha Killen died on the 11^th of May 1851 in County Down, Ireland.

Grandparents

            Edward’s grandfather was James Millar Killen (1815-1879).  He was born on the 25^th of October 1815 in County Antrim, Ireland and became a Doctor of Divinity[2] and a Minster in the First Presbyterian Church, being ordained on the 9^th of May 1842 in Comber, County Down, Ireland.

            James Millar Killen had a very large family.  He married Martha Jane Young (1814-1851) on the 22^nd of June 1843.  James and Martha had five children; three daughters and two sons. 

            Martha died on the 11^th of May 1851 and James married Margaret Rebecca Bryson Sinclair on the 12^th of October 1853.  James and Margaret had nine children; three daughters and six sons, one of which was Edward Brice Killen, Edward’s father.

            Margaret died on the 25^th of November 1866 and James married a third time, this time to Martha Harriet De Havilland (1830-1909).  They did not have any children.  Three of James’ 14 children predeceased him.  James Millar died on the 3^rd of September 1879 in Comber, County Down, Ireland.          

Parents

            Edward’s father, Edward Brice Killen was born on the 18^th of October 1861 in County Down, Ireland.  He married Genevieve Sarah Peile Workman (1866-1926) on the 28^th of December 1892 in Belfast, Ireland.  Edward and Genevieve had two children; Edward Osborne Brice Killen (1893-1917) and Genevieve Marion Killen (1896-1982).  Edward Brice Killen died at Battersea, London on the 25^th of October 1932.

            The 1901 Census of Ireland shows the following information regarding the Killen family.

1901 Census of Ireland⁽¹⁾

NOTES:

(1)    There are some interesting differences between the formats of the Census of Ireland and the Census of England and Wales.

a)      The Irish census has a column named Religion.  Bridget Owens is listed as “Roman Catholic.”  All the other individuals are listed as “Presbyterian.”  This column has been omitted from the table above.

b)      The Irish census has a column named Literacy.  Everyone is listed as “Read and write” except 4-year old Marion who is listed as “Can’t read or write.”

c)      There are two columns in the Irish census that contain no entries.  These columns are headed “Irish Language” and “Specified Illnesses.”

d)     There is a column in the Irish census headed “Sex.”  In the table above this column had been omitted for brevity as the gender of each person is obvious.

(2)   Rather than leaving the wife’s Profession or Occupation blank the word “Nothing” has been entered.  Today this would have a negative connotation for married women.

(3)   This is Edward Osborne Brice Killen.  For some reason the census taker chose to use just Osborne for his given name.

(4)   The entry “Not at School” is understandable for young Marion, but not so for the others, unless the census was taken during a school recess.  In the Census of England and Wales this column normally would contain the word “Student” if the person was still attending school. 

(5)   Marion’s name is spelled in correctly.

Figure 2.  The Killen House at 40 Princetown Road, Bangor, County Down, Ireland.
(No. 40 is the house on the corner at the end of the row)
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)

            The 1911 Census of England and Wales shows the following information regarding the Killen family.

1911 Census of England and Wales

NOTES:

(1)   Edward Brice Killen had come from being a Tea Merchant in 1901 to an Engineer in 1911.  No explanation has been found for this.

(2)   The middle name Brice has been omitted for Edward, undoubtedly due to insufficient space on the form.  Genevieve’s full name, Genevieve Sarah Peile, also has been omitted. 

(3)   Genevieve Sarah Peile Workman was the daughter of the Reverend Robert Workman, who apparently was living in France when Genevieve was born.  Although she has a French given-name, her parents both were born in Ireland.

(4)   There is a column on the form headed “Nationality” that has been omitted in the table above.  The members of the household are listed as “Irish” and the servant is listed as “English.”

Figure 3.  The Current House at 31 Campbell Road, Bedford.
(It is uncertain whether this structure dates back to 1911)
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)  

Early Life of Edward Osborne Brice Killen  

            Edward was born on the 26^th of September 1893 in Belfast, Ireland.  In 1910 he entered Bedford School, an independent school for boys located in the county town of Bedford.  The school was founded in 1552 and is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust.[3]  He was head of E.C.1 at Christmas, 1910, and after that date he passed the London Matriculation (at age 17), and Intermediate B.Sc. exams.  He had gained several open prizes for photographs of bird life, and was an expert and intrepid rock and tree climber.  According to Bedford School records “Killen's record at School, good as it was, hardly showed what was latent in him.”  As indicated by the census data above, in 1911 Edward was living with his parents at the Campbell Road address in Bedford.  His home was within easy walking distance of the school.

Figure 4.  Bedford School.
(Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia)

            In 1913 Edward entered Trinity Hall College of Cambridge University and he participated in the Cambridge University Officers Training Corps (O.T.C.), where he got his introduction to military life.  When the war began in August of 1914 he was at Trinity Hall reading for the Natural Science Tripos.[4]  His O.T.C. training made him eligible to apply for a commission in the Army, which it appears that he must have done about a year and a half after the war started.  There is no indication that he received an academic degree from Cambridge before beginning his military service.

Figure 5.  Trinity Hall College, Cambridge.
(Image courtesy of Art UK)  

3.  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

            The only physical description available of Edward is from the two photographs from the author’s collection.  He was slender of build and probably slightly above average height.  He was a handsome young man with a high forehead, a modest mustache and a full head of hair.  The photograph below shows how he appeared in his tropical uniform with his Wolseley helmet, a photograph probably taken in Egypt or in Mesopotamia. 

Figure 6.  Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen, R.E.
(From an original photograph in the author’s collection)

4.  COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING  

            Edward’s Temporary Commission as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Land Forces is dated the 5^th of January 1916 as shown in Figure 6 below.  Although the document indicates that he was commissioned in the “Land Forces,” he would be posted to serve in the 71^st Field Company of the Royal Engineers.  This company formed part of the 13^th (Western) Division.  His actual date of rank, as shown in the Monthly Army List of February 1915, is the 9^th of January 1915. 

Figure 7.  The Original Commission of Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen.
(The original document is in the author’s collection)  

5.  ASSIGNMENTS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Egypt and Gallipoli (1915-1916)

            Prior to reporting to his unit for duty Lieutenant Killen would have attended a basic officer’s course at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, Kent.  This course would have lasted for about 9 months, during which time he would have learned the basics of field fortifications, military construction, surveying, military topography and other courses related to military engineering.  Once the course had ended he received orders to join his unit of assignment; that is, the 71^st Field Company, Royal Engineers commanded at that time by Captain D.S. Collins, R.E.[5] 

            Lieutenant Killen’s Medal Index Card indicated that he went to Egypt in September of 1915.  The 13^th Division and the 71^st Field Company, along with the division’s other field companies, the 72^nd and 88^th were at Gallipoli at the time.  The division’s Commander Royal Engineers (C.R.E.) was Lieutenant Colonel A.J. Wolff, R.E.,[6] who had taken over the position from Lieutenant Colonel G.D. Close, R.E. in August of 1915.

            At this point there is some confusion regarding Killen’s whereabouts after leaving for Egypt.  Although he was serving with the 71^st Field Company, what is uncertain is whether he went to Gallipoli to join the company or whether he went to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos.  If he joined the company at Gallipoli it would have been after the Battle for Hill 60 (27-28 August 1915).  From the 19^th to the 20^th of December 1915 the 13^th Division was evacuated from the beaches at Suvla on Gallipoli and moved to Mudros.  Then, between the 27^th to the 31^st of December the 71^st Field Company moved back to Gallipoli from Mudros to the beaches at Helles.  At this point Lieutenant Killen could have been left behind to work on pier construction at Mudros.[7]  If he did go back to Gallipoli with the company at this point, then he would have been present during the last Turkish attack made at Helles on the 7^th of January 1916 and he subsequently was evacuated from Helles to Mudros again between the 8^th and 9^th of January.  On the 31^st of January 1916 the 71^st Field Company left Mudros for Egypt.  The company was commanded at this time by Lieutenant G.W. Richmond. R.E.

            The construction of piers at Mudros was extensive as the map and lists below indicate.  As indicated by ENDNOTE 6, Killen was commended by the Officer Commanding the 71^st Field Company for his good work on the construction of piers at Mudros during the Dardanelles campaign.  These piers were absolutely necessary for the handling of shipping to transfer men and supplies to Gallipoli from Lemnos.  If he went initially to Mudros in August of 1915 he could have worked on the Egyptian, Pioneer, Ordnance, Railway and Hospital Piers described below.  

Figure 8.  The Piers at Mudros Constructed by the Royal Engineer.
(Map from Volume VI of The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers)  

Figure 9.  List of the Piers Constructed at Mudros by the Royal Engineers in 1915.
(List from Volume VI of The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers)

Egypt (1916)  

            The 13^th Division was concentrated at Port Said, Egypt on the 31^st of January 1916.  Its mission was to hold forward posts in the Suez Canal defences against possible attacks by the Turks.  The division only remained in Egypt for about two weeks before being deployed to Mesopotamia.  The 13^th Division at this time was composed of the 38^th , 39^th and 40^th Infantry Brigades. 

Mesopotamia (1916-1917)

            On the 12^th of February 1916 the 13^th Division began to move to Mesopotamia to strengthen the force being assembled there for the relief of the besieged garrison at Kut-al-Amara.  The 71^st Field Company, now under the command of Captain W.H. Roberts, R.E.,[8] disembarked at Basra on the 27^th of February 1916 and moved up the River Tigris on the 2^nd of March.  The company immediately became involved in ferrying operations to cross the River Tigris by assisting No. 2 (Mobile) Bridging Train.[9]  By the 7^th of March the company was a few miles southeast of Diyala Village at the Diyala bridge crossing.

            The 13^th Division assembled near Shaikh Saad by the 27^th of March and came under orders of the Tigris Corps.  It then became fully involved in the Mesopotamian Campaign and the Siege of Kut  

            On the 5^th of April the 71^st Field Company took part in the third attempt to relieve Kut and the capture of Hanna and Fallahiya.  Lieutenant Killen and the 71^st Company took part in the attack on Sanniyat on the 9^th of April and were involved in operations at Bait Isa from the 17^th to the 18^th of April.  On the 22^nd of April the company was part of the third attack on Sanniyat. 

            In June of 1916 the CRE of the 13^th Division (Colonel Wolff) was invalided home due to an illness and his place was taken by Major A.E. Coningham, R.E.,[10] who served as the Acting CRE for the period between June and August of 1916.

            The period between the end of April 1916 and the beginning of December 1916 was a relatively quiet one for the 71^st Field Company.  It was during this lull in operations in Mesopotamia that Killen, now a Temporary Lieutenant, was invalided home with a case of dysentery.  While at home he visited (or was posted to) the Royal Engineers Training Centre at Newark on Trent and there he prepared a Will.  Witnesses to his signing of the Will were two Chaplain’s to the Forces; Chaplain G.E. Battle and Chaplain B.D. Wilkins.  The Will was prepared on the 20^th of July 1916 and contained the following provisions:[11]

·         His mother was to receive all of Edward’s property deposited with Messrs. Barclay & Co. of Cambridge.

·         A codicil to the Will bequeathed his service revolver (a Webley-Fosbery automatic) to his father, Edward Brice Killen of 27 Queen Victoria Street, London.

·         A codicil to the Will bequeathed a camera and motor cycle to his friend Roland Ephraim Rawson Sanderson of Ashfield, Rothsy Place, Bedford.

            It is interesting that young Lieutenant Killen chose to carry a Webley-Fosbery automatic pistol as his service revolver.  The Webley-Fosbery Self-Cocking Automatic Revolver (its official designation) was an unusual, recoil-operated, automatic revolver designed by Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery, VC and produced by the Webley & Scott company from 1901 to 1924.  Although Webley viewed this weapon as an ideal sidearm for cavalry troops, the Webley–Fosbery was never adopted as an official government sidearm. At over 11 inches long and weighing some 44 ounces unloaded, the Webley Fosbery was a heavy and unwieldy sidearm even by the standards of the day. Several models of Webley–Fosbery revolvers were produced, and the type saw limited action in the Boer Wars as well as the Great War, where some privately purchased examples were carried by British officers (Killen apparently being one of them) in the .455 service chambering.  Reports from the field suggested that the Webley-Fosbery, with its precisely machined recoil surfaces, was more susceptible to jamming in wartime conditions of mud and rain than comparable sidearms of the period. It has been commonly alleged that the Webley-Fosbery required a tight hold in order for the cylinder to properly cycle and cock the weapon.  Another disadvantage was manual recocking. Unlike the simple technique used for ordinary revolvers, the Webley-Fosbery required pulling the entire action-cylinder-barrel assembly back across the frame, a two-handed operation.  As indicated, this revolver was never the official revolver in use by the British Army, so Killen most certainly purchased his making it his private property.  It was an unusual choice for him to have made.

Figure 10.  A Webley Fosbery Revolver of the Type Carried by Lieutenant Killen.
(Photograph courtesy of Rock Island Auction)  

            It also is of interest that Killen chose this time at Newark to make his Will.  Obviously he had not made a Will at the time that he first proceeded overseas to either Egypt or Gallipoli.  Knowing that he was about to embark on war service when he left England it would have been wise for him to have a Will in force at that time.  Did he have some idea of the nature of the fighting that he was going back to in Mesopotamia?  Did he have a premonition regarding his death?  Whatever his reason for doing it, it was a sensible move since he had only about six months to live.

            By about August of 1916 Killen had returned to his company in Mesopotamia after recovering from his bout with dysentery.  The 13^th Division with its three field companies was at Amara at this time.  The 71^st Field Company, like all of the division’s field companies, was greatly under strength, having less than 100 men fit for duty.  Captain W.H. Roberts, R.E. had replaced Major Coningham as the Acting CRE of the division.

            The Battle of Kut-al-Amara began on the 13^th of December 1916 with the objective of capturing Baghdad.  As the battle was beginning, Lieutenant Colonel E.C. Tylden-Pattenson, R.E., a veteran of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, assumed the duty of CRE of the 13^th Division.  The British had some 50,000 well-trained and well-equipped troops, mostly British Indian troops of the Indian Expeditionary Force, together with the 13th (Western) Division which included the 71^st, 72^nd and 88^th  Field Companies R.E. and the 13^th Divisional Signal Company, R.E.  Other field engineering support could be provided by the 8^th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was converted to a Pioneer Battalion in January of 1915. 

Figure 11.  Map of the River Tigris, January 1916.
(Map from Volume VII of The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers)           

            The Ottoman forces contested a fortified place called the Khadairi Bend which the British captured after two weeks of siege work (6 January to 19 January 1917).  The Battle of the Khadairi Bend was fought as a prelude to the main offensive at the Second Battle of Kut.

            Specifically it was intended at undermining Turkish defences sited at the highly fortified Khadairi Bend, positioned in two deep trench lines at the north of Kut in a loop of the River Tigris along the left bank.

            British operations were overseen by newly-installed regional Commander-in-Chief Sir Frederick Maude.  Maude's plans for undermining Turk defences around Kut were carefully constructed and executed over a period of some months.

Figure 12.  The Second Battle of Kut, 1917.

(Map courtesy of Wikipedia)

            British sappers began to dig positions underneath the Turkish lines from the 22^nd of December 1916 with the capture of Turkish outposts.  Within two weeks they had succeeded in digging to within just 200 metres of the Turks' eastern position.

            In preparation for attack on the Hai Salient in January 2017 a system of trenches was constructed in successive parallel lines, which eventually were within 300 yards of the enemy's front line, and assault was possible. The new trenches stretched row behind row and were designated "Queen's Trench," "King's Trench" and "Emperor's Trench."

            Following a series of diversionary attacks launched along the Tigris on the 7^th and 8^th of January 1917, and preceded by an unusually effective artillery bombardment, a major British assault against the town was initiated by Maude on the 9^th of January.  British progress was good in the face of impressive Turkish opposition. 

            On the 9^th of January 1917 the 13^th Division was engaged in the Battle of Kut-al-Amara in the area known as the Hai salient.  This salient extended from the banks of the Tigris, immediately southeast of Kut, in a southwesterly direction to the Hai, at that time a broad stream about 14 feet deep.  The salient then ran about a mile due west and bent back to the south.  The distance separating the British line from the Turkish trenches varied from about 300 yards on the Tigris bank to about 1,000 yards at and west of the apex of the salient.  The salient was held by two brigades of the 13^th Division, the 38^th and 39^th.  The 71^st Field Company generally supported the 39^th Brigade.

            The division advanced astride the River Hai and made some progress on the east bank and then was transferred to the west bank.  The 71^st Field Company had much hard and exacting work in trench warfare operations ending with the occupation of the Dahra Bend.  They were never used as infantry in the assaults.  The work was chiefly sapping and taping trenches for night-digging by the infantry.  Often the trench line advanced less than a hundred yards in 24 hours and casualties were heavy because the ground was flat and open. 

            It was on one such operation that Lieutenant Killen was killed, probably by a Turkish sniper, although the exact nature of his wound is not known.  When describing Killen’s death his Captain wrote: 

"The Infantry had advanced, and he was coolly setting out the new communication trenches. The Corporal who was helping him in directing the digging of the Infantry saw him fall. He was at once unconscious and died quite peacefully. He was buried on West bank of Hai, a few miles south of Kut. We are very sad at having lost him so soon. His keenness and ability—especially for siting trenches with such little experience — greatly impressed us. Personally he was an ideal companion and his loss is irreplaceable. "

Figure 13.  The Area South of Kut on the West Bank of Hai Where Killen was Buried.
(Map from Volume VII of The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers)           

            Lieutenant Killen’s final resting place is in the Amara War Cemetery, Grave reference: XXIV.C.17.[12]   See ADDENDUM No. 1 for a summary of fatal casualties in the 71^st Field Company during the entire period of the war.

            On the Registry of his personal effects compiled by the Army he is listed as Record No. 24325 with an account date of 21 April 1917 showing an amount of £52 2s 6d and an account date of 2 May 1917 showing an amount of £110 8s 9d.  It is not known if these amounts are individual pay amounts due him or if the second number is a cumulative amount of all pay due him at the time of his death.  One wonders what happened to his Webley-Fosbery pistol that was supposed to be given to his father.  No entry regarding the revolver or any other personal effects such as a watch or perhaps a cigarette case is shown in the document.  

Figure 14.  Registry of Soldiers Effects.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

            Edward’s Will was probated in London on the 31^st of October 1917.  His effects were left to his mother, Genevieve Brice Killen in the amount of £716 10s 8d. (about $50,500 US in 2020 currency).  Her address at the time was 31 Campbell Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire.

            Lieutenant Killen’s service and death are commemorated on the Bedford School Memorial Panel.  His name also is listed in the University of London Officers Training Corps Roll of the Fallen, in Ireland’s Memorial Records, 1914-1918 and by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at the Amara War Cemetery.

NOTE:  In 1933 all of the headstones in the Amara War Cemetery  were removed as salts in the soil caused a rapid deterioration of the stone used.  In place of the headstones a screen wall was erected with all of the names of the men buried there engraved upon it.

Figure 15.  The Amara War Cemetery.
(Photograph courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)[13]

Figure 16.  The Bedford School Memorial Panel.
(Photograph courtesy of the Bedford School)

 6.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

Promotions:  Lieutenant Killen received the following promotions during his time in service:

 NOTE: As previously indicated, Killen’s commission was signed on the 5^th of September 1915, but his official date of rank was the 9^th of September.

Appointments:  Lieutenant Killen did not receive any special appointments during his time in service.

7. MILITARY TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Military Training:  Other than his initial training as an engineer officer following his commissioning, no information has been found to indicate that Lieutenant Killen received any specialized training before or during his time with the 71^st Field Company.

Qualifications:   No information has been found to indicate that Lieutenant Killen earned any special qualifications during his time in service.

8.  MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS  

            Lieutenant Killen received the following medals, awards and decorations during his time in service:

 NOTE:  These medals, along with a Memorial Plaque, were awarded posthumously to Lieutenant Killen’s mother who was living at Harlyn Cottage, Northwood, Middlesex at the time.

Figure 17.  The Medals of Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen, R.E.
(Photograph from the author’s collection)  

Figure 18.  The Medal Index Card (front) of Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

Figure 19.  The Medal Index Card (back) of Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

Figure 20.  The Memorial Plaque to Honor the Service of Lieutenant E.O.B. Killen, R.E.
(Photograph from the author’s collection)

9.  SUMMARY OF SERVICE

            Lieutenant Killen’s total service has been approximated as shown in the tables below:

10. ADDITIONAL FAMILY INFORMATION

            Genevieve Sarah Peile Killen died on the 29^th of September 1926 at the age of 60.  Her address at the time was Harlyn Cottage, 19 Eastbury Road in Northwood, Middlesex.  The probate of her Will took place in London on the 21^st of September 1927 with her effects going to her husband, Edward Brice Killen, in the amount of £4,064 (about $376,960 US in 2020 currency).

            Edward Brice Killen died on the 25^th of October 1932 at St. James Hospital in Battersea, Surrey.  His residences at the time were 27 Queen Victoria Street, London and 19 Eastbury Road, Northwood, Middlesex.  The probate of his Will took place in London on the 2^nd of March 1933 with his effects going to  Genevieve Marion Riddell, widow, in the amount of £3,381 (about $440,500 US in 2020 currency).

            Edward’s sister, Genevieve Marion Killen, married James Alexander Riddell (1891-1923) in April of 1915 in Bedford.  James died on the 1^st of May 1923 in Falmouth, Cornwall and Genevieve appears to have remained a widow for the remainder of her life.  They had no children.  Genevieve died on the 17^th of April 1982 at Camborne-Redruth, Cornwall. 

            James Alexander Riddell would have been 23 years old when the Great War started, the same age as Genevieve’s brother Edward.  Unless he had a medical or physical disability it seems likely that James would have served during the war.  A Medal Index Card exists that identifies a soldier as 23/282 Private James A. Riddell in the Northumberland Fusiliers; however no definite proof exists that this man was Genevieve’s husband.  James was originally form Cornwall, but no soldier by the name of James A. Riddell or simply James Riddell could be found in Cornwall’s regiment; namely, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.  Private James A. Riddell’s MIC shows that the earned the British War Medal and Victory Medal, but there is no indication on the card to indicate in which theater of the war he served.   

ADDENDUM NO. 1

Fatal Casualties in the71^st Field Company, Royal Engineers
During the Great War of 1914-1918  

(Names listed by date of death)

TABLE FOOTNOTES:

1. Aged 19.  Son of Robert Anthony and Sarah Ann Wetherell, of 22, Dyke St., West Hartlepool.

2. Aged 39.  Husband of Agnes Graham, of 11, Mayfield St., Lisburn Rd., Belfast.3. Aged 20. 

4. Husband of E. Holman, of 74, Bloomfield St., Derby.
5. Aged 19.  Son of Blanche Runnalls, of 53, Arcadia St., Poplar, London.

6. Aged 34.  Son of Walter and Ellen Barnard, of Notley Place, Braintree, Essex.

7. Aged 19.  Son of Isaac and Mary Horner, of 156, Park Rd., Chesterfield.

8. Aged 34.  Husband of Mrs. Mary A. Blackett, of "Hazelgrove," Mill Lane, Edwinstowe, Notts.

9. Aged 32.  Son of Arthur and Mary Anderson, of 50, Byrne Rd., Balham, London.

10. Aged 37.  Son of John and Catherine Hubbard, of Whitley Bridge, Yorks.

11. Aged 23.  Son of Thomas and Margaret Galley, of 134, Admiral St., Princes Park, Liverpool.

12.  Son of Mr. J. Hayes, of Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

13. Aged 27.  Son of Charles and Hannah Mepsted, of Stapleford Tawney, Romford; husband of Ada Mepsted, of 3, Verdun Rd., New Walsoken, Wisbech.

14. Aged 33.  Son of George Allen, of Raingate St., London; husband of Mary C. Allen, of 30, Erskine Rd., Wallasey, Cheshire. Served in the South African Campaign.

15. Aged 29.  Son of Millicent Ashton (formerly Gosling), of 1, Victoria St., Shaw Heath, Stockport, and the late Alfred Donald McKay Gosling.

16. Aged 27.  Son of Mary Jane Reynolds, of 63, Kimberley St. Wolverhampton, and the late George Reynolds.

17. Aged 25.  Son of William and Dora Marnane, of 39, College Rd., Cork.

18. Aged 24.  Son of Eli and Ann Seeney, of 24, Padiham Rd., Burnley, Lancs. Born at Matlock.

19. Aged 21.  Mentioned in Despatches.  Son of Denis and Mary Clarke, of 16, Kimberley Drive, Stockton Heath, Warrington.

20. Aged 34.  Only son of James Simpson Gilmour and Janet Culross Gilmour, of 30, Craig Rd., Tayport, Fifeshire.

21. Aged 44.  Husband of D. Baines, of 24, Chillerton Rd., Tooting Bec, London. Born at Hammersmith, London.

22. Aged 23.  Son of Henry and Anne Bowell, of Woodcroft Villas, Cuckfield, Sussex.

23. Aged 23.  Son of David and Sarah Ann Thacker, of Blyton, Gainsborough; husband of Elizabeth Thacker, of Hemswell, Lincolnshire.

24. Aged 29.  Meritorious Service Medal.  Son of Thomas William and Agnes Martin, of 57, Etta St., Deptford, London.

25. Aged 25.  Son of Mary Jane Spencer, of 183, Ernest Rd., Buckland, Portsmouth, and the late Henry Lee Spencer.

 GENERAL NOTES:

1. All men are recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and except for Mellor, Butterworth and Moscrop all are listed in Soldiers Died in the Great War.
2. Where Cause of Death is listed as “Died” the man died of disease or the result of an accident.  It also is possible that the official cause of death was not known for inclusion in the records.  The primary diseases that caused deaths in Mesopotamia at the time were enteric (typhoid) fever, dysentery, cholera, malaria, and typhus.  Enteric fever was prevalent throughout the entire campaign and during 1916 especially, it was one of the causes of severe illness and death. Re: DISEASE IN MESOPOTAMIA. Major F. P. Mackie, M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.P., I.M.S.
3. “D of W” indicates died of wounds received in action.
4. “KIA” indicated killed in action.
5. Died in Egypt of wounds received at Gallipoli.
6. Died at home.

 CASUALTY STATISTICS:

1.      Total Number of Fatalities (1914-1918): 47

2.      Deaths by Location

a)      Home: 1 (2.1%)

b)      Egypt: 2 (4.2%)

c)      Gallipoli: 12 (25.5%)

d)     Mesopotamia: 32 (68.2%)

3.      Deaths by Rank: 3 Officers; 1 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers; 5 Junior Non-Commissioned Officers; and 38 Other Ranks.

a)      Lieutenants: 3 (6.4%)

b)      Warrant Officers: 1 (2.1%)

c)      2^nd Corporals: 2 (4.2%)

d)     Lance Corporals: 3 (6.4%)

e)      Sappers: 37 (78.8%)

f)       Drivers: 1 (2.1%)

4.      Deaths by Years of the War:

a)      1914: 1 (2.1%)

b)      1915: 13 (27.7%)

c)      1916: 6 (12.8%)

d)     1917: 23 (48.9%)

e)      1918: 4 (8.5%)

5.      Deadliest Month:

March 1917: 9 (19.1%)

6.      Causes of Death:

a)      Disease or Accident: 25 (53.2%)

b)      Killed in Action: 17 (36.2%)

c)      Died of Wounds: 5 (10.6%)

7.      Ages of Men (of 23 men where ages are known)

a)      < 20 year years old: 3 (13.0%).

b)     20 to 29 years old: 12 (52.3%).  Two Lance Corporals and the CSM were in this age group. 

c)      30 to 39 years old: 7 (30.4%).  All the men in this age group were Sappers.

d)     > 40 years old: 1 (4.3%).  The oldest man, Walter Baines, was a Sapper.  

ADDENDUM REFERENCES:

1. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
2. Soldiers Died in the Great War.

ADDENDUM No. 2

            The following information was contributed by Mr. Matthew Gilbert by way of his family tree (as Ganstry) on Ancestry.com.  Edward Osborne Brice Killen was his 2nd cousin 3 times removed.     

            Mr. Gilbert makes one correction to the information contained in the narrative.    Edward’s great grandfather John Killen died in Ballymena, County Antrim and not in Sligo.  Evidence of this comes from the Belfast Commercial Chronicle dated 10 May 1828, which reads:

 “On the 5th inst. at Ballymena, aged 60, Mr. John Killen, who, through an active and useful life supported the character of an upright man and a Christian - of him it may justly be said, as was once said of Nathaniel, "behold an Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile."

 
            Mr. Gilbert also provides some valuable information regarding Killen’s connection to the de Havilland family from the Belfast Newsletter dated 26 August 1873:

“KILLEN - DE HAVILLAND - Aug. 21, at Addison Road, West Kensington, London, by the Rev. Edward Guille, East Hyde, Bedfordshire, the Rev. J. M. Killen, D.D., of Comber, Co. Down, to Martha Harriet de Havilland, only daughter of the late Major de Havilland, of the 8th Regiment (King's Own), granddaughter of the late Sir Peter de Havilland, of Guernsey, and grand niece of the late Right Hon. Admiral Lord de Saumarez, GCB.”

Right Honorable Admiral Lord de Sumarez, GCB.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)  

            The Reverend James Millar Killen’s 3rd wife was Martha de Havilland.  She was a member of the de Havilland family, owners of the de Havilland Aircraft Company that produced the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito.  The Mosquito was a twin-engine, shoulder-winged multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. It was constructed mostly of wood and was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or "Mossie".

            The Killens, McCauslands and Gilberts all intermarried with each other, and various members of all families were involved in the family business Samuel McCausland Ltd. They were seed and tea merchants – so that explains why Edward Brice Killen was a tea merchant in 1901.

            “Edward O. Killen” is among the names on a tablet cut into the stone of a war memorial monument at the Newtownbreda Presbyterian Church (Belfast) commemorating those who served in the Great War of 1914-1918. This memorial, which contains 19 names, commemorates the members of the parish who were killed or missing during the war.  Lieutenant Killen’s name is on the tablet, although the “B” for his middle name, “Brice,” has been omitted.  

Tablet on the Monument at the Newtownbreda Presbyterian Church in Belfast.
(Photograph courtesy of the Imperial War Museum)

REFERENCES:

Army Lists

The Monthly Army List, February 1915.

Books

1. CAREY, G.V. (ed.) The War List of the University of Cambridge, 1914-1918. Cambridge University Press, 1921.
2. History of the Corps of Royal Engineers:  Gallipoli, Macedonia, Egypt and Palestine, 1914-1918.  Volume VI.  Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952.
3. History of the Corps of Royal Engineers:  Campaigns in Mesopotamia and East Africa, and the Inter-War Period.  Volume VII.  Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952. 
4. MILLAR, R.  Death of an Army: The Siege of Kut, 1915-1916.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1970.
5. MOBERLY, C.B.  History of the Great War.  The Campaign in Mesopotamia, 1914-1918.  His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1925.

 Commemorations  

1. Ireland’s Memorial Records, 1914-1918, p. 13.

2. University of London Student Records, 1836-1945, p. 127.

   3.      Bedford School Archives,  The Ousel VOL XXI No 498 November 3 1917, ID: 9493289, Obituary of Edward Osborne Brice Killen

Census  

1. 1901 Census of Ireland.
2. 1911 Census of England and Wales.

Correspondence

    Message from Mr. Matthew Gilbert via the Ganstry Family Tree on Ancestry.com

Documents  

1. Certified copy of an Entry of Death.  An Extract from an Entry in the Army War Records of Deaths, 1914-1921.  General Register Office No. SA 031697, dated 24 May 1979.
2. Probate Calendar, 1917, p. 445.
3. Extract of the Will of Edward Osborne Brice Killen.
4. Original Temporary Commission for 2^nd Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen in the Land Forces, dated 5 January 1915.

 Family Trees  

1. James Millar Killen (Grandfather)

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/54663067/person/27129687823/facts  

2. Edward Brice Killen (Father)

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/54663067/person/27128933415/facts  

3. Edward Osborne Brice Killen

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/54663067/person/190152547832/facts  

Internet Web Sites  

1. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/629107/killen,-/  

2. Firstworldwar.com: The Battle of Khadairi Bend, 1917.

https://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/khadairibend.htm  

3. The Long, Long Trail: 13^th (Western) Division

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/13th-western-division/  

4. Wikipedia:  13^th (Western) Division Order of Battle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_(Western)_Division  

5. Wikipedia: Bedford School.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_School#History  

6. Wikipedia: Fall of Baghdad (1917)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Baghdad_(1917)  

7. Wikipedia: Second Battle of Kut.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Kut  

8. Imperial War Museum.  Lives of the First World War.  Bedford School Memorial Panel.

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2252463  

9. The War Dead of North Down and Ards.

http://barryniblock.co.uk/world-war-one-list-of-dead/names-listed-alphabetically-by-surname/kane-to-kyle/killen-edward-osborne-brice/  

London Gazette  

1. The London Gazette, 8 January 1915, p. 284.
2. The London Gazette, 16 June 1916, p. 5985.

Medal Rolls and Medal Index Card  

1. Royal Engineers Medal Roll: 1914-15 Star.
2. Royal Engineers Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal.
3. Medal Index Card: Lieutenant Edward Osborne Brice Killen, R.E.

Professional Papers  

DISEASE IN MESOPOTAMIA. Major F. P. Mackie, M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.P., I.M.S. British Medico-Chirurgical Journal, 1883, p. 118.

ENDNOTES