My Uncle, William Mills, 2 Middx from Haddiscoe Norfolk

[Rod Mills]

I have developed the following information on my uncle, and was wondering if anyone can add any details either about him and his life, or the action in which he lost his life with the 2nd Middlesex please.

G/96971 Private William Charles Mills

2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment died age 19 on 24th April 1918. Born at Fritton (Belton?) on 20th August 1899, the son of Charles Henry and Eliza Mills of Haddiscoe Station, he was educated at Fritton School. He enlisted at Norwich in September 1917, and was reported missing on 24th April 1918. Remembered with honour on the Pozieres Memorial. The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) ‘The Diehards’, the 2nd (Regular) Battalion was in Malta in August 1914 but returned to England in September 1914, joining 23rd Brigade, 8th Division. His name is recorded on the Haddiscoe War Memorial in Norfolk.

(picture from the Norfolk County Council website)

[Mark Crame]

Hi Rod, nice to see you. Fingers crossed, eh?

[Steven Broomfield]

Rod, welcome. On the date in question the 2nd mx were involved in the fighting around Viller Brettoneux; although mostly remembered as an Australian battle (thier War Memorial is there), it was a hard-fought battle for the 8th Division, too.

The History of the 8th Division (which I think is available as a reprint from naval and Miltary Press) devotes a lot of space and some excellent maps to it, so it may be worth your while trying to track down a copy.

In brief, 2 Mx were in the path of a German attack, starting at 7 a.m., and using tanks (the german A7V, I believe). They were to the east of V-B, on the right of the divisional front (with the 8th Div on their right, and with 2 Rifle bde on their left.

The two comapnies of 2MX were overwhelmed by german infantry and tanks, covered by a bombardment and smoke.

The attack was eventually held on the western outskirts of V-B, and the 2 Mx are reported as having lost 13 officers and 539 other ranks. They had already lost heavily in fighting in March.

I hope that's a start for you - I daresya others can give more.

The shoulder title in the picture is interesting: was he in anything else before 2nd Mx? It looks as if the shoulder title is in 2 parts - a territorial 'T', or a light infantry bugle or something? Difficult to see.

Anyway, good hunting.

Steve

[Rod Mills]

To Stephen

Thank you very much for the information, you have given me something that i never knew

Thank you very much

Rodney

[Rod Mills]

On my visit to Thiepval and Pozieres last March i picked up some books about the Austrailians in the Somme, not knowing anything about the Middx fighting close to them. It seems the Austrailians stopped the Germans at Villers Bretonneux on the 25th April, my Uncle died on the 24th April.

Edited 6 January , 2006 by Rod Mills

[Mark Crame]

Rod, from my research on the Haddiscoe war dead, William was the third from last to die in WW1. Reginald Randlesome died of wounds in September, and Leonard Haines died in October.