BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Places / Occupation
EDUCATION – Apprenticeship with Jabez Hughes Builders
JOB – Joiner / Carpenter
UNIT – 128 Field Company Royal Engineers.
RANK – Sapper 159134
THEATRE – Ypres / Third Ypres / Ypres Canal Bank 128 RE Field Coy. 13 August 1917
DIED – DoW 13 August 1917. Aged 27
BURIED – Brandhoek New Military Cemetery. (CWGC)
Alfred Waller Miller was born at Oswestry in 1890, the eldest child of Frederick and Sarah Williams, his father was a railway porter and ticket collector. They lived at 2 Gate Street, Oswestry. In 1901 he had three siblings; William, Sarah and Ada. A third sister, Annie, would be born in 1902. In the same year their father died (Buried at Oswestry Cemetery Grave E 229). In 1911 Alfred was still living on Gate Street with his widowed mother and siblings. He was working as joiner/carpenter and wood carver having served his apprenticeship with Jabez Hughes, Builders in Oswestry. In 1912 Alfred married Sarah Edwards at King’s Norton in Worcestershire, they lived at Smethwick – by the end of the war Sarah was living with her parents at 82 Price Street, Smethwick. They would have 3 children – Mercy b 1912, Victor b 1914 and Frederick b 1915.
Alfred enlisted at Smethwick joining the Royal Engineers and posted to 128 Field Company RE – part of 23 Division. He died of wounds on 13 August 1917. During the preparations for the next phase of Third Ypres – Battle of Langemark, his company were stationed at Cardoen Farm, about 1.6km to the west of Elveringhe. They were going forward to the battle area where they were working in the area around Boundary Road in the Ypres Salient, His unit was working on road repairing, filling in shell holes and drainage. Alfred was hit by a bullet to the chest as he was returning from work on 12 August 1917. He died at 44 Casualty Clearing Station at Brandhoek the next day. He is buried in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery. His headstone inscription reads ‘Peace After Pain’.
Alfred Miller’s ‘Dead Mans Penny’, Commemorative Medal (picture) was purchased at auction at Bishops Castle in November 2018.
Alfred Miller’s ‘Dead Mans Penny’, Commemorative Medal. (Mike Clarke)
Brandhoek New Military Cemetery also contains the grave of Captain Noel Chevasse, RAMC. 1/4 Bn King’s Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Scottish) who had died of wounds a week before Alfred on 4 August. Captain Chevasse was the only soldier to be awarded two Victoria Crosses during the war. Chevasse gained the first VC at Guillemont in July 1916, with the second during Third Ypres being awarded posthumously. He was a medical officer and was awarded both VCs for rescuing and tending to wounded in No Man’s Land.
Acknowledgements.
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