S6788
MILES, George Arthur
| Service Number: | 2125 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Towitta, South Australia, Australia, 15 May 1898 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Semaphore South, South Australia, Australia, 23 December 1991, aged 93 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia Rose Garden Memorial Sites, Bed CHG, Site Number 13 |
| Memorials: | Keyneton Soldier Memorial Institute and Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 2125, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 2125, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 2125, 43rd Infantry Battalion |
George Arthur Miles
Name: George Arthur Miles
Service Number: 2125
Place of Birth: Towitta
Date of Birth: 15 May 1898
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 24 May 1916
Age at Enlistment: 18 years
Next of Kin: Father – John Winter Miles
Occupation: Farm hand
Religion: Methodist
Rank: Private
After receiving a letter from his father wishing him well, George left
Adelaide on HMAT A68 Anchises on 28 August 1916 and after
completing additional training in England, was sent to France with
the 43rd Battalion on 28 March 1917 to fight in the battle for
Lagnicourt, where, during action on 31 July, he sustained a gunshot
to the back. After treatment George was able to rejoin the 43rd on
26 August. Due to suffering from trench feet he was sent to England
on Grantilly Castle on 20 October, resuming duty with his unit on 13
April 1918. Influenza and diarrhoea plagued George throughout the
later months of 1918, calling for further bouts of hospitalisation.
Private George Arthur Miles left England for Australia per Mamari
on 21 December, arriving on 14 February 1919 and was discharged
on 23 March. After the war, George, (known as Art), was a workman
of Fred Evans and a tenant in the former Smith farmstead on Crails
Third on the right George Miles
Creek (the former home of Wilfrid Fewkes Partridge’s
grandparents).
George also enlisted in World War Two, on 11 June 1941, service
number S34961, listing his home town as Glanville. He attained the
rank of Sergeant.
Source:NAA; B2455; MilesGA; Barcode 7980001.
Submitted 14 October 2023 by christopher collins
Biography contributed by Trevor Pyatt
George Arthur Miles (1898–1991)
George Arthur Miles was born on 15 May 1898 at Towitta, near Sedan, South Australia, the fifth child and third son of John Winter Miles and Levina (Dansie) Miles. His birth was registered in the Angaston District, with the birth residence recorded as Towitta. Later military records refer to his birthplace as Sedan, reflecting the nearby township and district rather than a contradiction in the records.
George grew up on the Murray Plains at Towitta and Keyneton, where his parents were among the district's well-known farming families. He was raised with seven siblings:
Edith Maud (Hearnden)
Charles Leslie
William Henry
Mary Ireleen
Eliza Ruth
Ivy Marion
Violet Ruby
His childhood was marked by tragedy when his mother, Levina, died at Keyneton on 23 July 1911, leaving eight children to be raised by their father. George was just thirteen years old.
Like many young South Australians of his generation, George came of age during the First World War.
First World War Service
George enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 11 June 1916, only a few weeks after his eighteenth birthday. His attestation papers record:
Service Number: 2125
Unit: 43rd Battalion, A.I.F.
Occupation: Labourer
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Weight: 130 pounds
Complexion: Fresh
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Religion: Church of England
Next of Kin: Father, John Winter Miles, Keyneton
George embarked for overseas service and served in England and France with the 43rd Battalion. His service records show numerous movements through reinforcement depots, hospitals and frontline units. During the war he was wounded, requiring medical treatment before eventually returning to duty. After the Armistice he returned safely to Australia and was discharged in 1919, having completed his wartime service.
His First World War service placed him among the thousands of young South Australians who served on the Western Front during one of history's most devastating conflicts.
Marriage and Family
Following his return home, George married Florence Mabel Davis, daughter of Thomas Davis, on 27 March 1920 at St Bede's Church, Semaphore. George was 21 years old, while Florence was also 21.
The couple settled permanently in the Port Adelaide district and raised a large family.
Their known children were:
Kenneth George David Miles (1921)
Gloria Joyce Perkins Miles (1923)
Lavina Jean Miles (1924)
Thomas James Miles (1925)
Roseanna Audrey May Miles (1926)
Nance Melvenia Miles (1928)
The family lived at Semaphore Park, Exeter, Semaphore and Glanville during the 1920s before eventually establishing their home at Semaphore South.
Second World War Service
More than twenty years after serving in the First World War, George again volunteered for military service.
On 11 June 1942, at 44 years of age, he enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces at Semaphore.
His Second World War attestation records:
Service Number: S34961
Occupation: Labourer
Address: 15 Charles Street, Semaphore
Religion: Church of England
Next of Kin: Wife, Florence Miles
George served with the 25 Australian Garrison Battalion, undertaking home defence duties during the war. His unit was associated with the Loveday Internment Camp in South Australia, one of Australia's principal wartime internment facilities.
He remained in military service until 6 December 1945, when he was honourably discharged following the end of the war.
Serving in both World War I and World War II was a notable achievement and reflected George's continued willingness to serve his country across two generations of conflict.
Later Life
George remained closely connected to his family throughout his life.
He experienced the loss of many of his siblings over the years, including:
Edith Maud Hearnden (1932)
his father, John Winter Miles (1939)
Charles Leslie Miles (1971)
Ivy Marion Miles (1976)
Mary Ireleen Miles (1987)
His greatest personal loss came with the death of his wife Florence Mabel Miles on 3 July 1986, ending a marriage that had lasted more than sixty-six years.
George spent his later years living at 14 Boord Street, Semaphore South, remaining in the community where he and Florence had built their lives.
Death
George Arthur Miles died at his home in Semaphore South on 23 December 1991, aged 93 years.
He was buried with Florence at Enfield Memorial Park, Rose Garden Memorial Sites, Bed CHG, Site 13.
Their memorial simply records:
George Arthur Miles
Died 23.12.1991
Aged 93 Years
and
Florence Mabel Miles
Died 3.7.1986
Aged 87 Years
Legacy
He answered Australia's call to arms in both World War I and World War II, serving overseas as a young man and later protecting Australia's home front during the Second World War. Equally important was his lifelong devotion to his wife, children and extended family. Through his descendants and his military service, George left a lasting legacy that reflects both the pioneering heritage of the Miles family and the contribution of ordinary Australians during extraordinary times.
Research Note
George's official birth registration records his birth residence as Towitta, while both his Find a Grave memorial and his Second World War service record state Sedan as his birthplace. As Towitta lies within the Sedan district, these records are considered consistent rather than contradictory.
The birth of Florence Mabel Davis has not yet been conclusively identified. Several online family trees suggest she was born in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, but no primary birth, immigration or baptism records have yet been located to verify this claim. Until supporting evidence is found, her birthplace should be regarded as unconfirmed.
Sources
South Australian Birth Registration: George Arthur Miles, born 15 May 1898, Towitta; parents John Winter Miles and Lavina Dansie; Angaston District, Book 622, Page 143.
South Australian Marriage Registration: George Arthur Miles and Florence Mabel Davis, 27 March 1920, St Bede's Church, Semaphore; Port Adelaide District, Book 282, Page 1050.
South Australian Birth Registrations:
Kenneth George David Miles (1921)
Gloria Joyce Perkins Miles (1923)
Lavina Jean Miles (1924)
Thomas James Miles (1925)
Roseanna Audrey May Miles (1926)
Nance Melvenia Miles (1928)
National Archives of Australia, First World War Service Record, Service No. 2125, 43rd Battalion A.I.F.
National Archives of Australia, Second World War Service Record, Service No. S34961, 25 Australian Garrison Battalion.
South Australian Death Registration: George Arthur Miles, died 23 December 1991; Book 975A, Page 00570.
Enfield Memorial Park Cemetery Records: Rose Garden Memorial Sites, Bed CHG, Site 13.
Memorial inscription, Enfield Memorial Park, commemorating George Arthur Miles and Florence Mabel Miles.
Biography by Trevor Pyatt 15/07/2026
Click images to start slideshow.