Thomas Mills was born in 1890 at Wigan. He was the second son of Charles and Sarah Mills with an elder brother, Giles, and younger siblings Mary, Winifred, James and Charles, born in 1899. In 1890 his father was a coal miner but in 1901 was working as general labourer and in 1911 was a platelayer for Cambrian Railways. The family had first moved to live at Llandinam, Montgomeryshire but by 1911 had moved to Oswestry and were living at 22 Coney Green. They would later live at 29 Middleton Road. By 1911, Thomas too was working for the Cambrian but as a booking clerk at the train station at Rhayader, where he lived as a boarder at Victoria House, Rhayader. Victoria was at that point a shop and bakery in the village – his landlord was George Meredith, a baker.

At Rhayder he had joined the Herefordshire Territorials. He was mobilised at the outbreak of war and, during August 1914, was billeted in Oswestry with HQ temporarily in the Wynnstay Hotel on Church Street. Thomas most probably was billeting with his parents. The battalion only stayed in the town for a short time and by September had moved to Irchester in Northamptonshire.

The battalion was assigned to 158 Brigade in 53 (Welsh) Division and in July 1916 they sailed for the Mediterranean bound for Gallipoli – they travelled on SS Euripides, the same vessel Captain Harries died on. Thomas Mills survived the landings but was killed about 10 days later, he was most likely a victim of sniping. On the day of his death, 19 August 1915, the battalion War Diary records 5 ORs KIA and 5 wounded. The day had been relatively quiet except for persistent sniping by the enemy. He is believed to be buried in Azmak Cemetery, Suvla Bay and he is commemorated on Special Memorial 46. He is commemorated on the Cambrian Railways Memorial in Cae Glas Park and at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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