There is no direct evidence to identify this soldier (records giving next of kin, newspaper notices, etc.). SDGW shows James Millett was born in Oldham, Lancashire. There are two births of this name in Oldham between 1870 and 1900: in September quarter 1882 and December quarter 1899. The latter appears to have died in 1976 so if Oldham is the correct birthplace, then this soldier was born in 1882, the son of Jacob Millett and Frances (née Mills), who married in 1871. James was baptised in St. Mary’s, Oldham, on 13th September 1882, his parents’ residence given as Belmont Street and his father’s occupation as carpenter. Another son, Joseph, was born in 1884 but died in infancy, leaving James as their only surviving child.
In 1891 they are living at 18 Belmont Street, Oldham. His father is a joiner, James is 8. Also in the household is his cousin, Thomas Seddon, 21, an engine driver.
They are still at 18 Belmont Street in 1901. His father is 53, born in Bury, a joiner and carpenter. His mother is 54, born in Preston, and James, 18, is a spindle and flyer maker (many of their neighbours are employed in the cotton mills).
His father Jacob died in 1905, aged 56.
In 1911 James, 29, is head of household at 2 Bristol Street, Oldham. Living with him is his mother Frances, 67 (based on previous census records, she would have been 64). He is employed as a “flyer glazier”.
He enlisted in Oldham and originally served as Private 2046 in the Manchester Regiment. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, James served about 33 months, enlisting in about June 1915.
At some point he was transferred to the 1st Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, and subsequently to the 17th Battalion,The King's Liverpool Regiment serving in 4th (‘D’) Company as Acting Lance-Corporal No 52669 when he was killed in action on the 05th March 1918, aged 35.
On 1st March 1918 the battalion relieved the 18th King's Liverpool Regiment in the St. Quentin right sub-sector - ‘D’ Company on the right, ‘C’ Coy on the left, ‘B’ Coy counter-attack, and ‘A’ Coy passive resistance. The War Diary records-
2nd March, 1918 -
12:10 a.m. Combined patrols sent out to become acquainted with NO MAN’S LAND and to obtain an identification. No enemy encountered.
3rd March, 1918 -
Battalion holding the line. Major Pomfret(?) attd General Staff reconnoitred gaps in the wire in front of the line of redoubts (GAY TRENCH, GRANVILLE TRENCH, and TRENCH HAVRE) with view to having movable obstacles made to fill in. Usual patrols out and work on trenches and wire.
4th March, 1918
Battalion holding the line. Work on new dug-out and making of wire obstacles.
5th March, 1918
4:45 a.m. - At about 4:45 a.m. enemy barrage was put along Right Company front in form of box barrage covering forward line, C.T.s and rear line, also neighbourhood of Company H.Q. Trench mortars were fired into wire near CANAL about A.6.a.48, and 4.2s and 5.9s were employed on trenches. Barrage lasted until 5:30 a.m.
At about 4:50 a.m. enemy entered our forward trench about A.6.a.49 through gap in wire above mentioned. This spot is in between two of our posts. Previous to entering trench, enemy was not heard or seen by these posts. Enemy proceeded along behind our No.1 post on CANAL at A.6a.40.75 and a hand to hand fight took place, bombs and rifles being employed, during which all men on this post were wounded except two, who are reported missing. One wounded Bosche was left in our trench. Enemy was only in our trenches apparently for about 10 minutes, and did not proceed elsewhere. The post on the immediate left, hearing scuffle, proceeded to close in in that direction. The foremost man was seen to be hit and the post was driven back by bombing. This man is also missing. The S.O.S. was sent up from all front posts and was answered in about 5 minutes.
A post at S.29.d.6.9 reported seeing enemy coming over ‘in mass’ along our wire and fired on them. The Lewis Gun at S.29.d.8.6 fired across front. Prisoner captured belonged to 210th Infantry Bn (100th Storming Coy) which was brought up specially for this raid. He had been in this sector for 10 days and knew very little about artillery. Raiding party consisted of about 150 men.
Casualties: Missing 2 O.R. Wounded 7 O.R.
James was one of the Missing during this action, and his death later accepted as having occurred on 05th March 1918. German records held by the International Red Cross show James was killed in action on this date, west of St. Quentin. The Germans recovered his body and buried him in Fontaine Notre Dame German Military Cemetery, grave 449. His paybook and ID tag were transferred to Central Office on 11th March, 1918. James was one of only two Commonwealth casualties buried in this cemetery (the other being Rifleman G.H.Barker, Royal Irish Rifles), with 900 German and 12 French graves. After the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was identified by the cross marking his grave, and his uniform, and he was reburied in Grand-Seraucourt British Cemetery, Aisne where he now rests. The CWGC burial return shows ‘exhumations and reburials by État Civil Français'.
II Corps passed through this neighbourhood on the Retreat from Mons in August, 1914, and it was lost in the early days of the Fifth Army retreat in March, 1918.
The Cemetery was made in 1920-26 by the concentration of graves from the battlefields and from other burial grounds
There are now over 2,000, 1914-18 and a small number of 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, almost two-thirds from the 1914-18 War are unidentified and special memorials are erected to two soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried here. Other special memorials record the names of 32 United Kingdom soldiers, buried by the enemy, whose graves could not be found. In Plots III, IV and V are many graves, identified collectively but not individually, which are marked by headstones superscribed: "Buried near this spot".
The British Cemetery covers an area of 4,732 square metres and is enclosed by a stone rubble wall.
His death was announced int he local press:
Previously missing, now reported by German Government
KILLED OR WOUNDED
Millett 52669 A L-Cpl T(sic). (Oldham)
James’ Army effects went to a Sarah E. Smith (£13-12s-8d) and a Dr. James Farquhar (£1-1s-6d). James’ relationship to these individuals is not known. In 1911 a Dr. James Farquhar, born in 1878 in Aberdeen, was living at 14 Barker Street, Oldham. Sarah E. Smith has not been identified. A War Gratuity of £16-10s was ‘unissued’, and a pension card has not been found, probably because James had no dependents.
His mother Frances had died a few months after the death of her only child, in August 1918. It is not known when James was officially declared dead or if she learned of his death before she died.
James is commemorated on the Oldham Corporation Passenger Transport Department Memorial (First Manchester Bus Depot, Wallshaw Street, Oldham)
We currently have no further information on James Millett. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.
