The Tragedy of the Miller Brothers

[bickerton16/625]

Folks,

I came across this gravestone in a small churchyard in Pevensey, Sussex earlier this year. It tells a remarkably sad story particularly for the parents of the Miller brothers whose epitaph of "Peace perfect Peace" is unbelievably poignant. I had approached the stone from the side with the majority of the memorials inscribed and only realised there was yet another memorial on the reverse when I walked around that side - an extrordinary sacrifice for any family to bear.

I haven't quite got the whole size of attachments thing figured out yet so I'll posts the second picture as a response in a couple of minutes

i happened to meet with the church warden and asked about the story behind the gravestone but she could tell me little apart from the youngest Miller brother (Lennie) was thought to have drowned in an accident.

Does anyone know more details about the story this stone represents? - I'm sure something of this magnitude will have been researched in more depth.

The reverse of the Miller gravestone in Pevensey.

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SDGW shows:

Name: Wilfred Lawrence W. Miller

Birth Place: Pevensey, Sussex

Death Date: 30 Aug 1916

Death Location: British Expeditionary Force

Enlistment Location: Hurstmonceux

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Sussex Regiment

Battalion: 11th Battalion

Number: SD/614

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

Name: Arthur John Miller

Birth Place: Pevensey, Sussex

Death Date: 13 Aug 1918

Death Location: British Expeditionary Force

Enlistment Location: Hastings

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Sussex Regiment

Battalion: 7th Battalion

Number: SD/1199

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

[ss002d6252]

CWGC shows:

MILLER, STEPHEN

Rank:

Private

Service No:

615

Date of Death:

22/11/1916

Age:

23

Regiment/Service:

Royal Sussex Regiment

11th Bn.

Grave Reference

East of Church.

Cemetery

PEVENSEY (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD

Additional Information:

Son of Stephen and Bertha Miller, of 3, Castle Terrace, Pevensey.

He has records on ancestry

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-c&gsln=miller&gskw=615&cpxt=1&uidh=784&cp=11&pcat=39&h=638633&db=BritishArmy&indiv=1

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It looks like Wilfred and Stephen both signed up together to the 11th Bn.

[KevinBattle]

... Stephen's records show he was discharged as "permanently unfit for service under para 392 xvi" on 17 January 1916 due to acute tubercule of the lung, originated in camp in December 1915. No Overseas Service, so not even British War and Victory medals.

Even looks as if the family had to take his case to their MP, Rupert Gwynne, to get the award of a pension which looks to have been robustly denied until then, despite several letters from the family.