24das24 Posted 22 October , 2011 Share Posted 22 October , 2011 I am the eldest grandson of William Millward and am researching his life and I came across several comments about his football career before WW1 which I have but I have little information on his war record other than he joined as a Private and became an acting Brigadier by the end of the war ( only achieved by one other person during 1914 and 1918 I believe).He won a DSO and bar and the Croix de Guerre and commanded the 11th Bn The Royal Sussex on two occasions during the latter part of the war. He lost a leg on,I believe, the last morning of the war when a stray shell hit the farm building he was in, having stopped to have a shave prior to moving to Div HQ. He was listed as missing and the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre but as the family story went my grandmother would not believe he was dead and some how caught a boat across the channel and hired a taxi and searched the field hospitals until he was found.I wander if that was true?? He was a fine sportsman at football tennis and cricket and I have some information on that. If any one can help I would be very grateful. DAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Inspector Posted 22 October , 2011 Share Posted 22 October , 2011 Hi DAS Welcome to the Forum. Lt.Col.William C Millward's Medal Index Card is on Ancestry, Royal Sussex. Entered France 15.3.16 No doubt one of the experts will pick up your thread soon. Regards Barry PS Forum member "Roger D" posted that he was researching your grandfather. Have sent him a Personal Message. If you Google "Lt.Col.William Colsey Millward" you will be able to pick up the thread and other info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 22 October , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 October , 2011 Hi Inspector, Many thanks for the information. I keen to see what comes forth!!! DAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 22 October , 2011 Share Posted 22 October , 2011 I have been researching the South Down battalions which he served in for many years. His service record survives at the National Archives, but it is not online. He did indeed go from Private to Acting Brigadier General. If I can help drop me a line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmarchand Posted 23 October , 2011 Share Posted 23 October , 2011 My books tell he had his citation published in the LG 18.3.18, it is good one, won under heavy shelling displaying coolness and leadership.The synopsis in O'Creagh indicates an MID in late 1918 but no bar. His leg loosing injury was 29.10.18. I can post some pictures of the listings if you like. It also has the dates of his promotions and demob dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 24 October , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 October , 2011 My books tell he had his citation published in the LG 18.3.18, it is good one, won under heavy shelling displaying coolness and leadership.The synopsis in O'Creagh indicates an MID in late 1918 but no bar. His leg loosing injury was 29.10.18. I can post some pictures of the listings if you like. It also has the dates of his promotions and demob dates. Dear ScottM, Yes please all you can pass on via this system would be gratefully received. Many thanks, DAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger D Posted 3 November , 2011 Share Posted 3 November , 2011 DAS / The Inspector - apologies the personal message ended up in my junk folder and I have only just seen it. I used to live in London and followed Dulwich Hamlet FC - Colsey was a leading player at the club just pre war. The club has a historical magazine produced occasionally by a fan called The Hamlet Historian. I have written a few articles on Hamlet men who fought in WW1, one was Colsey. It is a fairly hefty article and was spread over two issues. I'll mail the author and see if he has a couple of back issues he can provide / has the article laid out with the photos.The article also covers your great grandad who was a top notch cricketer, often playing with W.G. Grace, and test match umpire as well as scoring in the first ever Kidderminster Harriers football match. William Colsey scored the other goal that day but was died as a result of wounds received on the pitch a few weeks later. You may recognise the name....... It also includes a little on his sojourn over in Argentina, he was actually here on leave when war broke out, resigned his job and signed up. Possibly encouraged by the fact Lord Lowther had allocated recruitment duties in Eastbourne to your great grandad, they knew each other via Tory party politics. At the time he received his last promotion the local paper said he was believed to be the first man in the war to go from Private to Lieutenant Colonel without changing regiment and one of the quickest ever to do it. He was also a personal friend of the famous war poet Edmund Blunden and the poem 'The Welcome' is almost certainly about an incident in which he was nearly blown up just after returning from leave. He certainly had an incredible war. His wound was not the last day of the war and I very much doubt the family legend is true as he was in hospital pretty promptly, his leg was actually amputated after treatment failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger D Posted 3 November , 2011 Share Posted 3 November , 2011 DAS - if you send me through an address via personal message I have a spare copy of Hamlet Historian no. 19 (the first half of the story.) I have mailed the editor to see if it possible to get a copy of no. 20 printed off. If not I can photocopy the relevant pages of my copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger D Posted 4 November , 2011 Share Posted 4 November , 2011 DAS - the editor has a spare copy of HH no.20 he will post to me so I can send you both when I have contact details for you. Incidentally I have remembered a newspaper article at the time saying that Colsey's wife was summoned to France to be with him in the aftermath of his injury as they feared for his life at one point. This clearly suggests that she had not already travelled to France to find him in hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 4 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 4 November , 2011 Dear Roger D, Thank you so much for all the info you have. I would love to be able to pass it on to the rest of the family. Does this include his war record and if not do you know where i can get hold of his service record-his DSO and Criox de Guerre?? We as children where also told that Boppa, as he was known to us, played left back for Argentina as well as winning the Argentine Open Tennis championships, the Men's Doubles at Wimbledon and later, after the war, become an Umpire at Wimbledon. Do you know anything about this or is this more "Roy of the Rover's" tales?? Please contact me via dajcsharp@btopenworld.com Really looking forward to hearing from you soon and thank you for all your hard work. Doug Sharp DAS - the editor has a spare copy of HH no.20 he will post to me so I can send you both when I have contact details for you. Incidentally I have remembered a newspaper article at the time saying that Colsey's wife was summoned to France to be with him in the aftermath of his injury as they feared for his life at one point. This clearly suggests that she had not already travelled to France to find him in hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 4 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 4 November , 2011 Dear ScottM, Thank you for your offer of the photo's and documents. Perhaps it would be easier to e-mail me direct at dajcsharp@btopenworld.com Many thanks for your help and interest. Best wishes, Doug Sharp Dear ScottM, Yes please all you can pass on via this system would be gratefully received. Many thanks, DAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 25 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 November , 2011 I have been researching the South Down battalions which he served in for many years. His service record survives at the National Archives, but it is not online. He did indeed go from Private to Acting Brigadier General. If I can help drop me a line. Hi Paul, A great deal of info has been sent to me but there are gaps, particularly his service record, so if you could send me any information to dajcsharp@btopenworld.com I would be very grateful. Best wishes, Doug Sharp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmarchand Posted 25 November , 2011 Share Posted 25 November , 2011 Hi Doug, I'll get to that this weekend. I can also give you the adress for an excellent researcher who can pull out the service file at Kew and get you copies. He's very fairly priced and very thorough, I've used his talents quite a bit this year to resaerch medals and tunics in my collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest f.hawke Posted 5 February , 2012 Share Posted 5 February , 2012 Hi, I'm new to the forum, but came across it by googling William Colsey Millward. His brother Arthur Samuel was my grandfather. I knew nothing about them until a few years ago, as my grandparents divorced when my father was young, so it's all been an amazing voyage of discovery. I have some info on Arthur senior, the cricketer, and also some on William from other realtives I met on Genes Reunited. But I didn't know he was also a footballer, etc. I put together his Gazettte entries to build up a picture of his rise through the ranks, and also contacted the Royal Sussex Living History Group. But all that was some time ago. fascinating to have contact with a direct relative of his, particularly as I have no siblings or first cousins to compare notes with! Felicity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 19 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2012 1328441471[/url]' post='1706689']Hi, I'm new to the forum, but came across it by googling William Colsey Millward. His brother Arthur Samuel was my grandfather. I knew nothing about them until a few years ago, as my grandparents divorced when my father was young, so it's all been an amazing voyage of discovery. I have some info on Arthur senior, the cricketer, and also some on William from other realtives I met on Genes Reunited. But I didn't know he was also a footballer, etc. I put together his Gazettte entries to build up a picture of his rise through the ranks, and also contacted the Royal Sussex Living History Group. But all that was some time ago. fascinating to have contact with a direct relative of his, particularly as I have no siblings or first cousins to compare notes with! Felicity Hi Felicity,I am sorry for the delay in replying to you but I have not been on the Forum recently. What a great surprise to hear from you and although we realise we must, as a family, have distant relatives it's still a great surprise. I am the eldest grandson of William Colsey Millward (Boppa) and I have two sister's. My elder sister is also Felicity ( Pip) which is very coincidental and Cynthia (Snip) and two brothers Charlie and Jamie.I live in Worcestershire and my e-mail address is dajcsharp@btopenworld.com if you would like to get in touch so we can make arrangements to talk. I look forward to hearing from you soon with a great deal of excitement.Yours sincerely,Doug Sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 19 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2012 1322265363[/url]' post='1673899']Hi Doug, I'll get to that this weekend. I can also give you the adress for an excellent researcher who can pull out the service file at Kew and get you copies. He's very fairly priced and very thorough, I've used his talents quite a bit this year to resaerch medals and tunics in my collection. Hi Scott, I am very sorry that I have not responded to your message before now but I have not been on the Forum for a while! I would be grateful if you could forward details of your contact so I can talk to him directly. I am very grateful for your help and would ask that you use my e-mail to contact me. dajcsharp@btopenworld.comMany thank'sDoug Sharp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24das24 Posted 2 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 June , 2014 Hi to all who have contributed to this file, I have been away for several months in NZ so I am keen to make contact again. Several offers of help, documents and contacts were offered so I am keen to follow those up, so if you can still help I would be very grateful. Best wishes, Doug Sharp ( grandson of WCM) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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