Name
Herbert Francis Miles
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/09/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
King's Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DELVILLE WOOD CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL
XXIII. K. 4.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Harmer Green & Digswell Memorial, Harmer Green, St John's Church Memorial Plaque, Digswell, Brasenose College Memorial, Oxford, Harrow School Roll of Honour
Pre War
Herbert Francis Miles was born in 1894 in Paddington, London, the son of George Herbert and Ethel May Miles, and baptised on 24 September 1894 in Littlehampton, Sussex.
His mother died on 11 September 1894 and on the 1901 Census he was living with his widowed father and siblings at 25 Holland Park, Kensington, London. By 1911, he was a boarder at Harrow School and then went to Brasenose College, Oxford in 1913.
His father later moved to Homestall, Welwyn, Herts.
Wartime Service
When war broke out, Herbert enlisted into the London Regiment, Artists Battalion and served in France from October 1914 to March 1915. He was then offered a Commission into the Kings Own Scottish Borderers in June 1915.
He was wounded at Ypres but returned to his Battalion in February 1916. Herbert, now a Captain with 2nd Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers, was killed in action while in command of his Company during an attack on Falfemont Farm (part of the Battle of Guillemont) which was a German fortified strong point situated on high ground overlooking Allied positions. Owing to a mistake, the Farm had not been bombarded as planned and there was intense machine gun fire from the Germans, however, the farm was finally taken in the early hours of 5th September.
Additional Information
His father received his pay owing of £123 102 10d as well as a war gratuity of £5. Probate was granted to his father in London on 17 January 1917 with effects of £194 6s 11d. His older brother Eric Grant Miles won the MC in 1915 and a DSO in 1917 and survived the war, rising to become Major General.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.ourwelwyngardencity.org.uk, www.harrowschool-ww1.org.uk, www.bnc.ox.ac.uk
