Help with possible Royal Artillery horseback

[Nikki Mitchell]

Hi guys, I’ve recently been told that my Great Uncle William Edward Mills born in Bath in 1899 was part of the Royal Artillery as a horseback member.  I’m struggling to find anything out without his service number, is there anyway I can find out? He survived the war and I’ve been led to believe he fought at Ypre so I’m assuming it was the early part of the war due to horse regiment.  Any tips or help would be amazing 

Thank you 

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, Nikki Mitchell said:

Hi guys, I’ve recently been told that my Great Uncle William Edward Mills born in Bath in 1899 was part of the Royal Artillery as a horseback member.  I’m struggling to find anything out without his service number, is there anyway I can find out? He survived the war and I’ve been led to believe he fought at Ypre so I’m assuming it was the early part of the war due to horse regiment.  Any tips or help would be amazing 

Thank you 

Assuming he gave his correct age on enlistment he would have been called up for service until at the earliest September 1916 when the Army opened up voluntary enlistment for this men born in 1899 who were given the assurance they would not be called up until the age of eighteen years and three months and not sent on overseas service until aged 19 years (this was rescinded in April 1918 for those who were  at least) eighteen and a half and had six months training in the UK).  Therefore depending on his date of birth the earliest he could have served in the BEF was 1918.  The BEF still held Ypres following Third Ypres which ended in November 1917.

Drivers in the RHA were responsible for guiding the horses pulling the guns. They also served as wagon drivers in the ammunition column.

There are half a dozen William Edward Mills RFA in the medal rolls and many many more "William Mills".  There is a William Edward Mills Railway Porter married to Dorothy and living in Bath in the 1921 Census is that him?

I think we need a little more to pin down any military service.

 

 

[Nikki Mitchell]

11 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

Assuming he gave his correct age on enlistment he would have been called up for service until at the earliest September 1916 when the Army opened up voluntary enlistment for this men born in 1899 who were given the assurance they would not be called up until the age of eighteen years and three months and not sent on overseas service until aged 19 years (this was rescinded in April 1918 for those who were  at least) eighteen and a half and had six months training in the UK).  Therefore depending on his date of birth the earliest he could have served in the BEF was 1918.  The Bed still held Ypres following Third Ypres which ended in November 1917.

Drivers in the RHA were responsible for guiding the horses pulling the guns. They also served as wagon drivers in the ammunition column.

There are half a dozen William Edward Mills RFA in the medal rolls and many many more "William Mills".  There is a William Edward Mills Railway Porter married to Dorothy and living in Bath in the 1921 Census is that him?

I think we need a little more to pin down any military service.

 

 

Hi yes that would be him, I’ve just been looking at national archives, I can only see limited info but there is a William Edward Mills in Royal Artillery as a gunner with service number 821286

Thank you, I apologise I didn’t say that Ken 

[kenf48]

6 minutes ago, Nikki Mitchell said:

Hi yes that would be him, I’ve just been looking at national archives, I can only see limited info but there is a William Edward Mills in Royal Artillery as a gunner with service number 821286

He has a medical record in MH 106 which shows he was aged 42 years with 3 years service - not him

[Nikki Mitchell]

Ah ok, I’m limited as to what I can access, thank you again 

[mancpal]

Nikki, 

during WW1 the artillery was divided into 3, Field, Horse and  Garrison. The latter relied less on horses as they dealt with the big guns but would have still employed drivers, farriers and shoe smiths. Do you have further biographical details?

Simon

[Nikki Mitchell]

Hi thanks for your message, I don’t really have much to go on at all, he was born in Bath in 1899 and all my great auntie knew was he was in Royal Artillery and used to talk about battles in Ypres, I realise this will probably prove difficult, his brother Walter Frederick Mills was in machine gun corp and I’ve managed to find his service number and got some fantastic info on this wonderful site 

5 minutes ago, mancpal said:

Nikki, 

during WW1 the artillery was divided into 3, Field, Horse and  Garrison. The latter relied less on horses as they dealt with the big guns but would have still employed drivers, farriers and shoe smiths. Do you have further biographical details?

Simon

 

Hi thanks for your message, I don’t really have much to go on at all, he was born in Bath in 1899 and all my great auntie knew was he was in Royal Artillery and used to talk about battles in Ypres, I realise this will probably prove difficult, his brother Walter Frederick Mills was in machine gun corp and I’ve managed to find his service number and got some fantastic info on this wonderful site 

[PRC]

2 hours ago, Nikki Mitchell said:

I don’t really have much to go on at all, he was born in Bath in 1899

The only William Edward Mills recorded in the Bath area around about that time was registered with the civil authorities in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1899. Mothers' maiden name was Roche. Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth and the General Registrars Office then reports by quarter registered which is not automatically the same as quarter born. A children registered in the opening days of quarter 4 might have been born as early as the middle of the preceding August.

Other children registered in the Bath District with surname Mills, mothers' maiden name Roche, from this period are Minnie Edith, (Q2 1895) and Walter Frederick Victor, (Q3 1897).

Which leads to a family recorded living in a dwelling at Bailbrook, Batheaston, Somerset, on the 1901 Census of England & Wales. The address falls within the area covered by the Bath Civil Registration District for Births, Marriages and Deaths. The family consisted of parents Frederick, (aged 28, Market Gardener, born Bitton, Gloucestershire) and Edith M., (aged 28, born Nottingham) and their three Children - Minnie E. (aged 5, born Swanswick, Somerset), Walter F.V (aged 3) and William E. (aged 1) - the last two born Bailsbrook.

That in turn leads to a baptism of a William Edward Mills, born 31st August 1899, which took place at Batheaston on the 8th October 1899. His parents were Frederick, a Gardener, and Edith Mary. The family resided at Bailsbrook.https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6D9K-YTQY

Following through the steps set out by @kenf48 above, that young man would have been called up round about the 31st August 1917, but would not normally have expected to have gone out to a Theatre of War until the 31st August 1918. However by the time of the temporary reduction to 18 and six months following the British Army losses of the first phase of the 1918 German spring offensive he would most likely have been old enough and trained enough to have been rushed out to the front.

This of course assumes he didn't lie about his age \ name in order to see service earlier.

While the Royal Horse Artillery is a possibility, the vast majority of horse drawn units are likely to be Royal Field Artillery.

Going back to the civil records he may have been too young to have appeared on the 1918 Absent Voters List, even if the relevant one could be tracked down. He may well have been discharged to the Army Reserve before the 1919 Absent Voters Lists were complied. These lists shows unit and service number which is why they are a potential way to track down those basic details. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

And can I assume that the marriage is that of a William E. Mills to a Dorothy L. Marsh recorded in the Bath District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1919?
That would most likely close of the avenue of checking his occupation on the marriage certificate - if he was serving there is the possibility that rank and unit would be recorded, but I suspect William was already back in civvy street.

I've tried a variety of searches on the British Newspaper Archive but unfortunately Mills is not one of the better search terms to use.

If William served in a Theatre of War he would have qualified for Service Medals, which means there would have been a Medal Index Card for him. It would be laborious but ome option would be a seach of the Medal Index Cards and associated Medal Rolls for those William Edward \ William E \ William Mills that served with the Royal Field Artillery \ Royal Horse Artillery \ Royal Garrison Artillery and then weeding out the ones like 821286 Gunner William Edward Mills who were much too old, along with any who died, or who were commissioned. It will also probably be worth putting to one side anyone who received the 1914 Star or the 1914/15 Star

I do hope someone comes up with a quicker solution!

Cheers,
Peter

[Nikki Mitchell]

9 hours ago, PRC said:

The only William Edward Mills recorded in the Bath area around about that time was registered with the civil authorities in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1899. Mothers' maiden name was Roche. Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth and the General Registrars Office then reports by quarter registered which is not automatically the same as quarter born. A children registered in the opening days of quarter 4 might have been born as early as the middle of the preceding August.

Other children registered in the Bath District with surname Mills, mothers' maiden name Roche, from this period are Minnie Edith, (Q2 1895) and Walter Frederick Victor, (Q3 1897).

Which leads to a family recorded living in a dwelling at Bailbrook, Batheaston, Somerset, on the 1901 Census of England & Wales. The address falls within the area covered by the Bath Civil Registration District for Births, Marriages and Deaths. The family consisted of parents Frederick, (aged 28, Market Gardener, born Bitton, Gloucestershire) and Edith M., (aged 28, born Nottingham) and their three Children - Minnie E. (aged 5, born Swanswick, Somerset), Walter F.V (aged 3) and William E. (aged 1) - the last two born Bailsbrook.

That in turn leads to a baptism of a William Edward Mills, born 31st August 1899, which took place at Batheaston on the 8th October 1899. His parents were Frederick, a Gardener, and Edith Mary. The family resided at Bailsbrook.https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6D9K-YTQY

Following through the steps set out by @kenf48 above, that young man would have been called up round about the 31st August 1917, but would not normally have expected to have gone out to a Theatre of War until the 31st August 1918. However by the time of the temporary reduction to 18 and six months following the British Army losses of the first phase of the 1918 German spring offensive he would most likely have been old enough and trained enough to have been rushed out to the front.

This of course assumes he didn't lie about his age \ name in order to see service earlier.

While the Royal Horse Artillery is a possibility, the vast majority of horse drawn units are likely to be Royal Field Artillery.

Going back to the civil records he may have been too young to have appeared on the 1918 Absent Voters List, even if the relevant one could be tracked down. He may well have been discharged to the Army Reserve before the 1919 Absent Voters Lists were complied. These lists shows unit and service number which is why they are a potential way to track down those basic details. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

And can I assume that the marriage is that of a William E. Mills to a Dorothy L. Marsh recorded in the Bath District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1919?
That would most likely close of the avenue of checking his occupation on the marriage certificate - if he was serving there is the possibility that rank and unit would be recorded, but I suspect William was already back in civvy street.

I've tried a variety of searches on the British Newspaper Archive but unfortunately Mills is not one of the better search terms to use.

If William served in a Theatre of War he would have qualified for Service Medals, which means there would have been a Medal Index Card for him. It would be laborious but ome option would be a seach of the Medal Index Cards and associated Medal Rolls for those William Edward \ William E \ William Mills that served with the Royal Field Artillery \ Royal Horse Artillery \ Royal Garrison Artillery and then weeding out the ones like 821286 Gunner William Edward Mills who were much too old, along with any who died, or who were commissioned. It will also probably be worth putting to one side anyone who received the 1914 Star or the 1914/15 Star

I do hope someone comes up with a quicker solution!

Cheers,
Peter

Wow Peter thank you, that’s definitely the right family, the Walter that is mentioned is my grandfather who was in somersets then machine gun corp, the only thing I can think is he lied about his age as his older brother had gone he wanted to as well maybe