Born: 27 November 1878, Eccleshill
Died: 1 July 1916, Somme
Buried:
Address: 67 Institute Road, Eccleshill
Parents: Levi and Catherine, nee Long
Spouse: Linnie, nee Wild
Siblings: Two
Occupation: Warehouseman
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park & St Luke’s; Thiepval
Children: Elsie, Evelyn
Regiment: Pince of Wales’s Own
Herbert Milner
Herbert Milner was born on the
27th November 1878, the son of
Levi and Catherine, nee Long.
The family were living at Fagley
Road and Levi was working as a
blacksmith’s assistant.
Levi died in 1889 aged 46 years
and in 1891 the family were living
in Charnwood Road and Herbert at
12 years of age was working as a
spinner in a worsted mill.
By 1901 the family were living at
34 Charnwood Road and Herbert is
working as a warehouseman.
On the 13th of February 1904 at St
Luke’s Church, Eccleshill, Herbert
at 25 years of age and working as a
warehouseman married Linnie Wild
aged 22 years of 12 Hutton Terrace,
Eccleshill.
The couple went to live
with his family at 34
Charnwood Road where
their eldest daughter Elsie
was born.
By the time their second
daughter Evelyn was born
in 1907 the family had
moved to 41 Raglan
Terrace. Both daughters
were baptised at St
Luke’s Church.
By 1911 they were living at 67
Institute Road and Herbert was
working as a stuff warehouseman
for Messrs Arthur Walker in Leeds
Road.
He enlisted on the 16th February
1915 as Private 18/237 in the B
Coy. of the 18th Battalion of the
West Yorkshire Regiment
(Prince of Wales Own)
formed by the Lord Mayor
of Bradford on the 22nd of
January in 1915.
On the 17th of December
1915 the Brigade departed
Liverpool for Egypt to
guard the Suez Canal but
left on the 6th March 1916
when the Brigade was
transferred to France as part of the
build up for the Somme.
On Saturday 1st July 1916 the
attack opened at 7.30am and the
18th Battalion were slaughtered as
soon as they got on top of their
trench. Herbert was among the
dead of the 18th Battalion whose
casualties of more than 400 officers
and men represented some 70% of
the Battalion’s men who took part
in the assault.
Herbert was initially pronounced
“missing” but his family were
informed later that autumn that he
was officially confirmed as having
been killed in action. He was 37
years of age.
He is remembered at the Thiepval
Memorial where the names of
officers and men who fell on the
Somme battlefields from July 1915
to February 1918 are recorded and
who have no known grave.
Herbert left his effects to his widow
Linnie who received £3.8.9d on the
22nd February 1917 and a War
Gratuity of £5.10.0d on the 27th
September 1919.
.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
