| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
Tom was born in Hull the 28 Nov 1892 and baptised at St Mark’s Church the 16 Apr 1893. He was the youngest of nine children born to Thomas George Milner and his wife Elizabeth Frances (nee Dalton). His father was a chartered accountant from Hull who became the Borough Accountant in the city and then the City Treasurer. He was also a licensed lay preacher. Tom was brought up in Sutton and attended Hull Grammar School before the family moved to Beverley, living at “Abbeyville”, Westwood Road. Tom attended Beverley Grammar School and was a member of the Beverley Church Lads’ Brigade from late 1908 until 1911. After leaving school he became a farmer’s apprentice or “farm pupil” with a Mr Holyman. De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-19 states he was “an expert on horses”. His family left Beverley in 1914 and moved back to Hull to live at “Twyford”, 283 Beverley High Road, Tom was unmarried.
On 15 Jul 1915 Tom enlisted at Hull Central Recruiting Office, joining the Royal Field Artillery and after training in the Newcastle area arrived in France in Oct 1915. However he received unspecified wounds on 29 Jan 1916 and was transferred to hospital in the UK on 12 Feb 1916. In Jul 1916 he transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery joined 92nd Heavy Battery but on arriving back in France on 29 Sep 1916 he was with 119th Heavy Battery and remained with them for the duration of his active service. He reached the rank of Corporal in 1917. On 26 Sep 1918, in the vicinity of Bourdon Wood, to the south of Arras, Tom was killed in action and buried at Mory Abbey Military Cemetery. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the War and Victory Medals.
Tom’s Commanding Officer wrote of him that, “I knew him intimately. His application and zeal were outstanding, so too were his good nature and cheeriness. He worked harder than anyone and had the cheeriest laugh in the battery….”. A colleague wrote that he was “a man who set a splendid example to all his comrades”.
Tom is remembered on the Beverley Grammar School Roll of Honour.
Includes information taken from photograph, census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |