MILNER, George Hetherington
| Service Number: | 735 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 44th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Claremont, Western Australia, 5 February 1916 |
| Home Town: | Claremont, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Perth Modern School, Western Australia, 1911-13 |
| Occupation: | Audit clerk |
| Died: | Illness, At sea between Cape Town and Cape Verde Islands, 5 July 1916, aged 0 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Buried at Sea, Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Claremont St. Aidan's Memorial Window, Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Subiaco Perth Modern School WW1Honour Board, Subiaco Perth Modern School War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 735, 44th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 735, 44th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Fremantle |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Johnson
George Hetherington Milner was born on 8 October 1896 to parents George and Mary Milner of Claremont. He enrolled in Perth Modern School on 1 February 1911 and completed the first three years of high school. He obtained employment as an audit clerk and enlisted in the 86th Infantry Regiment, a Citizen Forces unit in WA. He was top of his NCO class in 1915 and was promoted to Sergeant.
George obtained a discharge from the 86th Regiment to enable him to enlist in the AIF. He was accepted on 5 February 1916 and appointed to “D” Company, 44th Battalion, part of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Division. After training at Claremont, the Battalion embarked on 6 June 1916 at Fremantle for the UK on HMAT Suevic, a Jubilee-class ocean liner converted to a troop transport.
The Suevic arrived in Durban at 10am on 21 June and the troops marched for six miles through the city for exercise. The ship took on coal and supplies and left Durban early on 22 June and proceeded to Cape Town, arriving at 8pm on 24 June. Another route march took place on 25 June and the ship left Cape Town on 27 June for Cape Verde Islands.
On 5 July, a little over half-way between Cape Town and Cape Verde Islands and exactly five months after enlisting, George died of pneumonia on the Suevic. He was buried at sea the same day.
Private George Milner is remembered on the Hollybrook Memorial to the Missing in Southampton, England. He was 19 when he died.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 5th July…… George Hetherington Milner was born at Perth, Western Australia on 8th October, 1896.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 27th January, 1916 as a 19 year old, single, Clerk from Hill Crest, Alice Road, Claremont, West Australia.
Private George Hetherington Milner, Service number 735, embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on HMAT Suevic (A29) on 6th June, 1916 with the 44th Infantry Battalion “D” Company.
On 25th June, 1916 Private Milner was admitted to Ship’s Hospital.
Private George Hetherington Milner died at 9.35 am on 5th July, 1916 at Sea on board HMAT Suevic (A29) from Pneumonia.
He was buried at Sea on 5th July, 1916 from HMAT Suevic (A29). He is commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England as he has no grave. His death is acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/m---o.html
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