| The History of Coagh booklet lists 2nd Lieutenant Samuel McKeown as having served with the 14th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment in the war.
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| Samuel McKeown was the son of James and Mary Jane McKeown. Samuel McKeown and Mary Jane McCotter were married on 31st October 1872 in the district of Ballymoney.
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| Samuel E McKeown was born on 5th June 1884. He was one of at least eight children, all born in the Coagh area.
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| Known family: James McKeown, Mary Jane McKeown, John McKeown (born 2nd November 1873), Richard McKeown (born 12th October 1875), Nancy P McKeown (born 27th September 1877), James Burnett McKeown (born 9th June 1880), Robert C McKeown (born 7th September 1882), Samuel E McKeown (born 5th June 1884), Thomas A McKeown (born 19th July 1887), Winifred M McKeown (born 14th January 1892).
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| The family lived at Crumlin Cottage, Coagh.
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| Samuel McKeown was educated at Cookstown Academy.
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| The 1901 census lists Samuel E as age 16 living at house 1 in Mullaghtironey, Coagh. He was a student. His father was a farmer and an accountant.
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| On leaving school took a creditable place at a civil service examination and received an important appointment in the Education Offices of the London County Council.
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| He was for four years a member of the London University Officers’ Training Corps, and attended for drill in summer camps.
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| Samuel’s father, James McKeown, died on 17th June 1910 in Coagh. He was 74 years old.
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| The 1911 census does not list Samuel as living with his widowed mother and brother at house 10 in Mullaghtironey, Coagh.
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| Shortly after the war commenced he applied for a commission, but before receiving it he enlisted in the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, and was given the rank of sergeant from the date of enlistment.
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| The War office soon after appointed him on the supplementary list of the General Reserve of Officers, and he was attached to the 3rd Battalion of the regiment in which he had enlisted.
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| The 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry is at the front and has lost heavily, and the 3rd Battalion, in which Lieutenant McKeown was an officer, fills up the gaps and it is liable to be drawn upon for officers and men to be attached to other regiments, as well as utilised for the portion of the Southern Command forming the defence of Portsmouth. For the latter duty, the officers were detailed in turn to take charge of the various forts.
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| In December 1914 Lieutenant McKeown was then gazetted a first lieutenant in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 2nd January 1915: From the Bismarck Archipelago
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| Mr S E McKeown, sixth son of the late Mr James McKeown, and Mrs McKeown, Crumlin Cottage, Coagh, has been gazetted a first lieutenant in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Lieutenant McKeown, who was educated at Cookstown Academy, on leaving school took a creditable place at a civil service examination and received an important appointment in the Education Offices of the London County Council. He was for four years a member of the London University Officers’ Training Corps, and attended for drill in summer camps. Shortly after the war commenced he applied for a commission, but before receiving it he enlisted in the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, and was given the rank of sergeant from the date of enlistment. The War office soon after appointed him on the supplementary list of the General Reserve of Officers, and he was attached to the 3rd Battalion of the regiment in which he had enlisted. The 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry is at the front and has lost heavily, and the 3rd Battalion, in which Lieutenant McKeown is an officer, fills up the gaps and it is liable to be drawn upon for officers and men to be attached to other regiments, as well as utilised for the portion of the Southern Command forming the defence of Portsmouth. For the latter duty, the officers are detailed in turn to take charge of the various forts. The 2nd Battalion of the O.B.L.I. is a line regiment, and Lieutenant McKeown’s commission is not a temporary one, and he will be attached for one month each year to his battalion though serving with another regiment.
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| The 2nd Battalion of the O.B.L.I. was a line regiment, and Lieutenant McKeown’s commission was not a temporary one, and he would have been attached for one month each year to his battalion, though serving with another regiment.
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| 2nd Lieutenant Samuel McKeown went on to serve with the 14th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment.
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