Pte 16318 William Gregson Millar

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: IV.T.5

16318 Private William Gregson MILLAR, 1 Company 18^th Battalion KLR.

William was born on the 03rd April 1893 at Toxteth, Liverpool and was baptised on the 23rd April 1893 at St Clement's Church, Toxteth. He  was the eldest of five children born to William Gregson Millar, and his wife Ellen (nee Eccles) who were married on the 06th June 1892 also at St Clement's Church, Toxteth. William was a 22 year old butcher of 51 Beaumont Street, father William.

From 1910 he had been employed in the forwarding department of the Elder Dempster Shipping Line. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 253, Park Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father, William Gregson, is aged 30, born in Liverpool in 1869 is a shop butcher, his mother, Ellen, is also aged 30, born 1871 in Liverpool and has no occupation listed. They have four children at the time of the Census, William Gregson Jnr aged 8, born 1893, Ellen aged 6, born 1895, Albert aged 3, born 1898 and Alice aged 1, born 1900. Their children were all born in Liverpool. They also have Robert’s sister Margaret Millar aged 23, born 1878 in Northwich who is employed as a domestic servant, and brother in law Robert Eccles aged 16, born 1885 who is a commercial clerk living with them.  

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 253, Park Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father, William Gregson, is recorded as aged 41, (His year of birth has now shows 1870) is a butcher and his wife Ellen is aged 40 and is assisting in the business. They have been married for eighteen years and have had five children of which one had died. Their children are still living at home, William Gregson Jnr aged 18, is a clerk in a shipping office, Ellen May aged 16, is an apprentice dressmaker, Albert aged 13 and Alice aged 11 are both at school.                                                                                     

William junior enlisted on 31^st August 1914 in Liverpool, giving his age as 21 years and 150 days, his occupation as a clerk at Elder Dempster Head Offices in Liverpool and his next of kin as his father, of 253 Park Road. He was five feet six inches tall, weighed 110lbs, 34” chest, fresh complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair and gave his religion as Church of England.

From the 23rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

William embarked for France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on 07th November 1915, disembarking at Boulogne.

On the 13^th February 1916 he was admitted to 98 Field Ambulance having sustained a gun shot wound (G.S.W) to his face. He resumed duty with his unit just five days later and was killed in action on 01^st July 1916 aged 23 when he was reportedly shot through the head by a German sniper.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun. 

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the day’s action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on the 18th July 1916: 

KILLED IN ACTION. 

MILLAR— July 1, killed in action, aged 23 years, private W. G. Miller (“Pals”), eldest and dearly beloved son of Mr and Mrs W. G. Miller, 253 Park Road, Dingle. (One of the best.)  

Also in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 07th August 1916: 

Killed. 

Millar, 16318, W.G. (Liverpool); 

He now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery (Plot IV, Row T, Grave 5). The Inscription on his headstone reads:

"THOUGH DEATH DIVIDES FOND MEMORY CLINGS"

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He was remembered in the Liverpool Echo on the 02nd July 1917: 

LOST AT THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. 

MILLAR— The memory of W. G. Millar, 18th Kings (2nd Pals), killed in action, July 1,1916. - Ever remembered by his Chums Jack and Wilf. 

Soldiers Effects to father William, Pension to mother Ellen. 

His father received his personal effects:- 2 photos and 1 card. 

He is also commemorated on the war memorial in Toxteth Congregational Church, (the memorial is now preserved in Toxteth United Reformed Church, Ullet Road, Toxteth, Liverpool).

He was remembered by his family in the Liverpool Evening Express on 02nd July 1926: 

MILLAR - In loving memory of our beloved son WILLIE (Private W. G. Millar, 2nd Pals), killed in action on the Somme, July 1, 1916. Ever remembered by all who loved him at 253 Park Road, Dingle. 

His father died, aged 60, on the 22nd April 1930. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 29th April 1930: 

MILLAR— Mrs Millar and family wish to thank relatives, friends, neighbours, customers, members of the trade(wholesale retail), also members of Sefton Park Bowling Club for their kind sympathy both during the illness and afterwards, and for the many floral tributes in their recent bereavement— 253 Park-road, Dingle. 

Probate was granted in London on 20th May 1930:- 

MILLAR William Gregson of 253 Park Road Liverpool died 22 April 1930 Probate London 20 May to Ellen Millar widow. Effects £2393 11s 6d. 

His mother died, aged 81, in 1951. 

We currently have no further information on William Gregson Millar, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.