Person

William “Willie” Edwin Mills was born on 30 May 1894 in Coundon. His father was Peter Mills (b 1869), a gamekeeper who was born in Saint Boswells, Roxburgh, Scotland. His mother was May Mills (b 1872) from Teviothead, Roxburgh, Scotland. The 1911 census records that at that time they had been married for 18 years and had two children, but only Willie was surviving. In 1901 the Mills family lived at Bowsdale, Hutton Lowcross, North Yorkshire. In 1911 they lived in Poultry House, Holly Bush Farm, Skelton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire. Willie was working as a clerk at a waterworks in 1911. He married Ethel Beatrice Mills at some time before his death in 1917.

Willie entered the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) on 14 June 1917. He was drafted to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 12 October 1917 and joined Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division (RND) in the field on 13 November 1917. He was killed in action on 30 December 1917 during the action of Welsh Ridge. He has no known grave and is honoured on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He is remembered in his home town on the Memorial 1914-18, Skelton-in-Cleveland. North Yorkshire.

Willie Mills was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service during the First World War.

Civil Parish: Coundon

Birth date: 30-May-1894

Death date: 30-Dec-1917

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: Bowsdale, Hutton Lowcross, North Yorkshire (1901 census)
Poultry House, Holly Bush Farm, Skelton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire (1911 census)

Employment: Waterworks clerk (1911 census)

Family: Parents: Peter Mills (1869), Mary Mills (1872)
Spouse: Ethel Beatrice Mills

Military service:

Entered RNVR from Army Reserve, 14 June 1917
R/177
Ordinary seaman, able seaman
Hood, Royal Naval Division, 13 November 1917

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Memorial(s): Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
Memorial 1914-18, Skelton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham