Walter Henry MILLS
Service
number: 944. Age:
28 years 4 months. Enlisted: 20 Jan 1915.
Occupation: Carpenter. Next of kin:
(mother) Mrs Maria Hill.
Address
on enlistment: Eumundi.
Rough
seas breaking over the bow of HMAT A60 Aeneas,
1915.[1]
Service
Summary:
20 Jan 1915: 25 Infantry Battalion.
29 Jun 1915: Embarked from Brisbane on HMAT
A60 Aeneas for the Middle East.
Oct 1915: HMAT A60 Aeneas at Port Suez for France.[2]
23 Jul 1916: Captured Pozieres, Prisoner of
war interned Fillialager, Wehn. At the time of his capture 25 Battalion, as
part of the 2nd Division, took part in its first major battle of
Pozieres between 25 Jul and 7 Aug suffering 785 casualties.
“The 25th Battalion was raised at Enoggera
in Queensland in March 1915 as part of the 7th Brigade. Although predominantly
composed of men recruited in Queensland, the battalion also included a small
contingent of men from Darwin. The battalion left Australia in early July,
trained in Egypt during August, and by early September was manning trenches at
Gallipoli.
At Gallipoli the 7th Brigade reinforced the
depleted New Zealand and Australian Division. The 25th Battalion, however, had
a relatively quiet time because the last major Allied offensive had been
launched, and turned back, in the previous month. It left the peninsular on 18
December 1915.
After further training in Egypt, the 25th
Battalion proceeded to France. Landing on 19 March 1916, it was the first AIF
battalion to arrive there. Now fighting as part of the 2nd Division, it took
part in its first major battle at Pozieres between 25 July and 7 August in the
course of which it suffered 785 casualties.” [3]
7 Dec 1918: Arrived Dover as a Repatriated
Prisoner of War.
5 Mar 1919: Returned to Australia on Nevada.
Service
Details:
In Dec 1915, at Gallipoli, Walter Mills
contracted jaundice and was admitted to a military hospital in Alexandria,
Egypt. While recovering Walter Mills penned the letter below to his elder
sister Catherine (Mrs. John Brinkley) and family who lived at Eumundi and the
letter was published in the Chronicle and
North Coast Advertiser. Walter Mills’ letter shows he thought that he may
be sent home soon. As events unfolded Walter wasn’t sent home but returned to
25 Battalion in Jan 1916.
|
Soldiers' Letter.
Private Harry Mills.[4]
Mr and
Mrs J. Brinkley are in receipt of a cheerful letter from the latter's
brother, Private H. Mills, who enlisted from Eumundi, and who writes from
hospital at Alexandria on 19 Dec 1915:
“Just a
few lines to let you know that I am getting better; my feet that were sore
from the cold are nearly right. I wore
my boot yesterday, out for a tram ride and a look round town. Needless to say “the lad enjoyed hisself.” It is ever so much safer going about here
than over at the peninsula where when you went for a walk you had to look out
for a bomb or a shell that would shake the devil out of you, or else there
would be a Turk trying to use you for the worst end of a shooting gallery,
the bullets saying 'ping pong', I liked my little dug-out behind the hill
best of all. It is surprising how much
shell is wasted. The Turks fired 40
into our “rest camp” one day and only knocked the bottom out of a mess
tin. I was glad that tin wasn't me,
but I never got hit, though I was buried whole one day, when a shell blew in part
of a trench, and you'd have laughed to see the lad wriggling out like a
worm. When I got out I had to shake
myself like a fowl, as a wash was impossible without water. I had used half a jam tin full that morning
having a shave. The Turks did not fire
at me when getting out, although I was exposed to view. They must have taken me for a heap of dirt.
. .
I hope
you enjoyed your Christmas and that you will have a happy New Year. . . I
would not mind a trip to Australia to have a look round, and then go back
till the war is over. I suppose you
would be surprised to hear I was on my way home. I think there will be trouble enough in
Egypt before it is all over, but they will be sorry they ever started if they
get the Anzacs amongst them; how we would enjoy a good open go, it would be
glorious after trench fighting. When
you are in the trenches you are like a trombone, you have a go-in every now
and again and there is a tearing row.
You have to be able to run like a red shanks to get anywhere near them
once they see the cold steel coming.
They will advance under shell fire, rifle fire, or machine gun fire,
but they won't face the bayonet. There
is no fun about any of it, although you never see Australians
downhearted. The Gurkhas calls us the
“white Gurkhas”; they like to get with Australians.
I received the parcel sent by Mother, and feel
what a good kind mother is. Many a
time on a dark night standing at my post when there was no sound but the boom
of guns and whistle of bullets, when one had to be exposed watching and
waiting for any move the Turks might make I used to wish to be spared for her
sake. I hope she does not worry about
me. I am glad Tom got home and hope he
will stay for a while. I must now
close as I feel tired; I am not as strong as I used to be, but expect soon to
be quite right again. “
|
Germany:
Australian Prisoner of War (POW)
944 Private Walter Henry Mills, 25 Battalion.[5]
944 Private Walter Henry Mills, 25 Battalion.[5]
Life
Summary:
Walter Henry Mills (1886-1961) was the eldest son of Walter James
Mills (1858-1896) and Maria Hussey (1858-1959) and was born on Bribie Island on
23 Sep 1886. Walter’s younger brothers Thomas James Mills [170] and John Robert
Mills [2262] also enlisted.
Walter
Henry Mills and Ada Burrell
on their wedding day 17 May 1919.[6]
on their wedding day 17 May 1919.[6]
After his military service, Walter Mills
married Ada Burrell at Wooloowin, Brisbane on 17 May 1919. The couple settled
at Caboolture where they raised their family and Walter worked as a carpenter.
By 1951, the couple were living at Charles Street, Caboolture when Ada Mills,
aged 63, passed away.
By 1954 Walter Mills had moved away from
Caboolture. Walter Mills married Isabella Pratt on 4 Sep 1954[7]
and they lived at Tygalgah via Murwillumbah where Walter Mills assisted in farm
work until illness forced him to retire. Walter Mills, aged 74, died 6 Sep 1961
at the Tweed District Hospital. Walter Mills is remembered on the Eumundi &
District Roll of Honour Board, Eumundi and the Maroochy Shire Honour Roll,
Nambour.[8]
[1]
Photo and caption: State Library of Queensland M946/36 http://hdl.handle.net/10462/eadarc/2086 View related images: http://hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/8394
[3] Australian War Memorial 25th
Australian Infantry Battalion https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51465
[4] Chronicle
and North Coast Advertiser,
Fri 4 Feb 1916, p. 7 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article81856402
[5] Photo taken by the Red Cross Society. Courtesy
of the Australian War Memorial P03236.037 http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P03236.037
[6] Photo source: Kunde family - Walter Mills
youngest daughter Wilma Mills married Gavin Kunde in 1949.
[7] Source: Marriage notice. Courier Mail Fri 10
Sep 1954 p. 20 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50618001
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