Private William Thomas Miller, 11th Batt. Essex Regiment

[John French]

Private 21856 Miller was born in 1888 and died of wounds on 17/9/1918 in France.  His war gratuity was £13-10s-0d - I'm not sure whether he was married.  Please would you advise when he enlisted and whether he served in any other battalions (his medal card suggests he only served in the Essex Regiment).

 

I would also appreciate a link to the 11th Battalion war diaries around his date of death (Ancestry search is so frustrating).

 

Thanks

 

John

 

[MaxD]

The splendid War Gratuity (courtesy Craig) gives an enlistment date of the month from 1 Oct 1916.  The fact that his sole legatee was his mother suggests that he may have been unmarried or, if he was, that he didn't change his will.

 

Diary starts here:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43112_1616_0-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=43112_1616_0-00001

 

Max

 

PS The CWGC site names his brother.  The site also notes that he was initially buried elsewhere and his remains re-buried post war.

Edited 11 July , 2019 by MaxD

[MaxD]

Added

 

His number is a post 1917 re-numbering of 4th Battalion Essex.  Given that 1/4th was the only 4th Essex Battalion that went overseas, and that to Egypt and Palestine (in his time frame), I am going to leave it to others more expert than I to say whether he may have served with 1/4th prior to 11 Bn.

 

Max

 

 

[MaxD]

His Effects Register entry gives the place of death as CCS - with no number.

 

The CWGC concentration sheet gives the initial burial site at Proyart CCE - Proyart Communal Cemetery Extension located about 500 yards north of Proyart.

 5 CCS, 41 CCS and 61 CCS were all in/around Proyart in the time frame so which one he passed away in needs more work and may not be easy to establish.

 

Max

 

.

[jay dubaya]

I haven’t checked them all listed on the CoG report but the those buried either side of Miller all died at the 5 CCS

Edited 11 July , 2019 by jay dubaya
Typo

[jay dubaya]

1 hour ago, MaxD said:

Added

 

His number is a post 1917 re-numbering of 4th Battalion Essex.  Given that 1/4th was the only 4th Essex Battalion that went overseas, and that to Egypt and Palestine (in his time frame), I am going to leave it to others more expert than I to say whether he may have served with 1/4th prior to 11 Bn.

 

Max

 

 

 

T’is a five not a six digit number Max, I can see nothing to suggest a TF soldier

 

J

[ss002d6252]

1 hour ago, MaxD said:

The splendid War Gratuity (courtesy Craig) gives an enlistment date of the month from 1 Oct 1916.  The fact that his sole legatee was his mother suggests that he may have been unmarried or, if he was, that he didn't change his will.

  

Diary starts here:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43112_1616_0-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=43112_1616_0-00001

 

Max

 

PS The CWGC site names his brother.  The site also notes that he was initially buried elsewhere and his remains re-buried post war.

Using my on-line calc gives

 

#21852 was issued to a man who joined the Essex 5 Nov 15 so #21856 should be on or around this date.

 

Craig

[clk]

Hi John,

 

Just to pick up on a previous post, his 5 digit 21856 number doesn't fit with the 6 digit number structure associated with the renumbering of the 4th (TF) Battalion. The 11th Bn was a New Army Battalion, and the men wouldn't have been renumbered (I believe) unless transferring in from another regiment.

 

As to when he joined up, he probably attested a couple of days before arriving at Warley in early November 1915..

 

21840 Barber - (attested 30.10.1915). Joined at Warley 4.11.1915. Posted 3rd Bn 6.11.1915. Posted 3/7 Bn 5.1.1916. Posted 1/7 Bn 18.1.1916. 

21847 Pearce - (attested 2.11.1915), Joined at Warley 4.11.1915. Posted 3rd Bn 6.11.1915. Posted 12th Bn 19.6.1916

21852 Kernaghan - (attested 1.11.1915). Joined at Warley 5.11.915. Posted 12th Bn 8.11.1915. To MGC Training Centre 15.5.1916

21856

21872 Trumpess - (attested 30.10.1915). Joined at Warley 6.11.1915. Posted 12th Bn 8.11.1915. Posted 11th Bn for BEF service 16.5.1916

 

Unfortunately though, I think that with the absence of other records, you won't be able to confidently establish his service path/dates prior to his death as a 11th Bn man.

 

His will is available from here.

 

His CWGC record here indicates that his body was originally buried at map reference 62d.R.15.a.3.5. That is presumably very close to the (unnamed/numbered) CCS (near Proyart)  in his Soldiers' Effects record, where he died. The green dot on the image below represents the approximate location.

 

Base image sourced from the National Library of Scotland

 

This link should open up on the map from July 1918 with square (62d.) R.15 in the centre. The transparency slider allows a blended view with the modern landscape.

 

It looks like British War Graves would be able to send you a decent quality image of his current grave on a FOC basis.

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edit:

I see that a lot has been added since I started working on this. Sorry for the duplications.

 

 

 

Edited 11 July , 2019 by clk

[MaxD]

My recent record for ba**s ups has been exemplary.  5 digits read as 6 (thanks J) and total failure with Craig's calculator the first time around (thanks Craig).  The forbearance shown by folks on this forum is awesome.  At least I got the burial details right!  Apologies to the OP.

 

Darkened room beckons.

 

Max