Name
William John Miller
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/04/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2527
Lancashire Fusiliers
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 59 to 73 or 218 to 219.
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead
Pre War
William John Miller was born in Hemel Hempstead in April 1894, the son of John and Martha Miller, and baptised on 27 May 1894 at St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead. He was one of eight children and the family were living at Cupid Green, Hemel Hempstead, when he was born and remained there on the 1901 Census when his father was working as a Ploughman on a Farm.
By the 1911 Census the family were living at 17 Church Street, Hemel Hempstead, with his father working as a farm labourer and two of his sisters working in the Envelope Department of John Dickinson & Co.(paper manufacturers). William, aged 17, was a Van Boy in a grocer's shop.
Sadly his father died on 26 June 1912 at 17 Church Street, aged 51 and is buried at Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead. His mother later lived at 66 Chapel Street, Hemel Hempstead and in 1939 was listed at 4 Anchor Lane, Hemel Hempstead with her daughter Alice Howlett and son in law Alfred. She died in 1959, aged 95.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in London and joined the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers in September 1914. He was sent to Wolston, nr Rugby for basic training and after a final inspection of the Battalion by King George V on 12 March 1915, they left for the Dardanelles from Avonmouth.
They arrived on 25 April 1915 at West ('W') Beach and met stiff resistance from concealed machine guns, sustaining heavy casualties. However they held their position and six Victoria Crosses were awarded for gallantry to soldiers from the Battalion (popularly known as "six VCs before breakfast"). The capture of 'W' Beach resulted in 700 soldiers from the regiment being killed or wounded and William was one of those killed that day, aged 21. He has no known grave but his name is commemorated on the Helles Memorial (Turkey).
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £4 19s 4d. She also received a pension of 12 shillings 6 pence a week. Brothers Horace and Arthur served in the war, in the Middlesex Regiment and Hertfordshire Yeomanry respectively and survived.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com.
