Tuesday 25th January 1916

Brigade reserve billets at La Rolanderie.

Another quiet day for the Battalion but it was again observed that there had been considerable activity, with one battery to the right of the Battalion firing more than two hundred rounds. There had also been a German aeroplane noted as flying over the billets on two occasions during the day.

Trooper Reggie Killeen, younger brother of Pte. Harry Killeen (see 14^th January) was killed in action whilst serving with 3^rd Dragoon Guards. News of Reggie’s death was passed to his family by Trooper L. Boyer: "I thought it my duty to write and let you know the sad end of Reggie. I feel very sorry, as he was my mate. I am in the same troop and squadron, and he died a hero fighting, and his death was instantaneous. He had no pain. I was only five yards from him when he was killed.” Reggie had enlisted, aged only 17, on the outbreak of war.

Trooper Reggie Killeen

L.Cpl. Arthur Halstead, (see 15^th December 1915) serving in France with the ASC, and attached to 1^st Cavalry Division, returned to England to begin his officer training; he would later serve with 10DWR.

The St. Helens Reporter carried news of 2Lt. Samuel Lawrence Glover (see 17^th January).

BRAVE OFFICER'S END. A STORY OF HEROISM.

A stirring story of a British officer's heroism is told in a letter which has been received in connection with the death of Second Lieut. Samuel Lawrence Glover, of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. Mr. Glover was the eldest son of Mr. Thomas Glover, engineer for the British Gaslight Company, Norwich, and was the nephew of Mr. Samuel Glover, gas engineer at St. Helens.

Lieut. Glover was first reported missing and has later been reported as killed. He was educated at Mill Hill School under Dr. McClure, and later at Glasgow University, and was being trained as an engineer. After serving in the O.T.C., at Mill Hill, he obtained a commission about a year ago. The many St. Helens people, who know his parents and other relatives, will extend to them their sympathy.

Capt. Carpenter, (Capt. Herbert Carpenter, see 17^th January), of the regiment, writing to Mrs. Glover, says: -
Dear Mrs. Glover, -
You have received by now the sad news about your son, who was one of my subalterns, but I am writing to give you details. At about 1.30 a.m., on the 14th, your son, with a corporal and two men, went out on patrol, and at 3.30 it was reported to me that he had not returned. This made me uneasy, as I knew your son to be an officer who had no fear of any sort whatever. Accordingly I sent out to try to find him, but could find no trace. About 9 a.m. the only survivor came in. He was in a state of collapse, and at first could tell us nothing, but eventually he told me the whole story.
The party had left our trench and had got over to the German barbed wire without seeing anything. When there, your son left this man and another, and with the corporal started to crawl under the German wire with the object, apparently, of seeing how strongly their trenches were held. Half way through, the Germans sent up a flare, and fired heavily on the two who were fully visible. The corporal called out, saying, "I am done for," but your son never moved, and I was afraid he must have been killed at once. One of the other two men was hit and sent the fourth man back for help. The unhurt man lost his way and wandered all night before coming in at 9 a.m., while the wounded man has not been heard of since.

Nothing I can say can make the blow any lighter for you, but I should like to express the deep sorrow I and the other officers of the company feel at losing a comrade. Your son was a magnificent young officer, keen on his work and brave to a fault. The men of his platoon would have followed him anywhere, and all are most upset at losing so good a friend and soldier.