Albert MIELL VD, MID

MIELL, Albert

Service Number: Officer
Enlisted: 1 August 1914, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Last Unit: 9th Light Horse Regiment
Born: Auburn, South Australia, 11 November 1869
Home Town: Crystal Brook, Port Pirie City and Dists, South Australia
Schooling: Auburn Public School; Way Collage, Adelaide, South Australia
Occupation: Soldier and Pastoralist
Died: Killed In Action, Gallipoli, 7 August 1915, aged 45 years
Cemetery: Ari Burnu Cemetery, Gallipoli
Memorials: Adelaide Grand Masonic Lodge WW1 Honour Board (2), Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Carrieton Honour Roll, Carrieton War Memorial, Crystal Brook Rotunda, Laura Peak Vale Roll of Honour, Naval & Military Club of SA - Boer War Roll of Honour, Orroroo District Roll of Honour WW1, Orroroo Memorial Hall, Orroroo War Memorial, Payneham District Council Roll of Honor, Peak Vale Roll of Honour WW1, St Peters Heroes War Memorial, St Peters Spicer Memorial Church Stained Glass Window Honor Roll WW1 (1), Wandearah East Broughton Plains Region War Memorial
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Boer War Service

1 Oct 1899: Involvement Lieutenant, 5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen

World War 1 Service

1 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia
15 Aug 1914: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel, Officer, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1,

--- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Karroo embarkation_ship_number: A10 public_note: ''

11 Feb 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel, Officer, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Karroo, Melbourne
19 May 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli
7 Aug 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant Colonel, 9th Light Horse Regiment, The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli,

--- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 9 Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Lieutenant Colonel awm_died_date: 1915-08-07

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Biography contributed by Charlotte McCarthy

Albert Miell was born in Auburn, South Australia on the 11th of November, 1869. Before the First World War, Albert Mill was a pastoralist and a soldier. He was five foot, nine inches tall and weighted eleven stone, nine pounds. He had a wife by the name of Lily Mabel Miell (nee Gale) and four children: Edith Irene Miell, Horatio Gordon Miell, Lindsay De Lisle Miell, and Lily Kathleen Miell. The family owned Yalpara Head Station, South Australia, but they lived in Crystal Brook.

He was forty-four and nine months old when he enlisted for World War One. Albert Miell enlisted for World War One on the 15th August 1914 and was ranked Lieutenant Colonel for the 9th Light Horse Regiment’s Headquarters. Albert Miell and his unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on board the Transport A10 Karroo on the 11th of February, 1915. Albert Miell’s war service in World War One was in Egypt and Gallipoli. He had previous military experience, which included fighting in the South African (Boer) War, the 5th contingent, Australian Bushmen and had twenty-two years with the 2nd Battalion Australian Regiment.

On the 4th of August at the reserve camp the Regiment was ordered up to firing line to participate in attack on the hill ‘Baby 700’, being part of a general attack on Turks in North Gallipoli. Then on the 7th of August at ‘Baby 700’ attack commenced after heavy bombardment by howitzers. A howitzer is a piece of artillery with a short barrel and the use of quite small propellant charges to force projectiles over rather high routes, with a sheer angle of descent. The 9th Regiment formed Brigade Reserve and gave full support to the 8th Regiment and 10th Regiment who were unsuccessful an suffered very heavy losses whilst directing fire from a parapet (A parapet is made into the side of the trench that is directly facing the enemy line. It is several feet of sand bags built in order to protect the heads and shoulders of soldiers manning the fire-step the parapet is invariably lined with several feet of sandbags). This was where Lt. Col. Miell was killed.

Lieutenant Colonel Miell was killed in action at ‘Russel’s Top’, Dardanelles, Gallipoli at the age of forty-five. Albert Miell is now buried at the Ari Burnu Cemetery (Row A, Grave Number 17), Gallipoli, Turkey.

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Biography

Cemetery details: Ari Burnu Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey

Commanding Officer of the 9th Light Horse Regiment, Albert Miel was killed at the Nek.  His Regiment was in Reserve and did not take part in the attack, but he and a number of his men were killed on the priphery of the attack mounted by the 8th and 10th Light Horse Regiments.

"COL. MIELL'S INJURY. The Lads Fought Well.

Much anxiety was felt by the numerous friends of Lieut.-Col. A. Miell when, the fact was published that he had been wounded in the fighting at the Dardanelles. In a letter dated June 8, and received by the latest mail by his daughter, Miss Eileen Miell, of First avenue, Joslin, the colonel states how he received the injury. He says:—

"I managed to get a bullet across the top of my head on Sunday. Fortunately it is only a scalp wound, although it bled freely, and I got weak from loss of blood, it did not hurt much. The regiment is now out of the trenches resting for a few days. The doctor insisted that I should come away from the front for two or three days to get rest and comfort. To please him I did so, though I did not like leaving the boys. The lads fought well. I am very proud of them, and the general was very complimentary concerning their work in the trenches. It was quite a relief to get on a comfortable mattress. We have nothing but an oil-sheet and blanket at the front, and the ground in Turkey is very hard indeed. I think it very fortunate that I was no taller, or I would probably have got the bullet in the temple or eye. There is some compensation in not being so high as Ben Hunt. Most of the boys who have been killed have been shot in the head. The captain of this ship vows that he is going to take me to Alexandria, but I can not spare that time. I will go ashore before the ship leaves, and I can go back to the front on a sweeper or destroyer in a night or so. I do not worry as long as I can rejoin the regiment before we go into the trenches, again. I am none the worse for my wound, and three days' rest will put me right. A shell-case came crashing into my dugout last week. It struck the wall and rebounded and hit me on the calf of the leg, but did no harm at all. Tell the kiddies that every day my boys shot several Turkish snipers. We lost a few good men. When the Turks attacked us we gave them an awful doing. I hope before long that we will be in Constantinople." - from the Adelaide Observer 17 Jul 1915 (nla.gov.au)

 
"COLONEL A. MIELL REPORTED AMONG THE FALLEN.
 
In a message to the Governor-General praising the work of the Australians, General Sir Ian Hamilton refers regretfully to the loss of several officers, included among whom is Colonel Miell. Lieutenant-Colonel Miell's connection with the military forces dated back to 1892, when he joined the second battalion of Adelaide Rifles at Crystal Brook, under Colonel Catt. In 1899 he transferred to the Mounted Rifles at Port Pirie, being appointed second lieutenant at the end of that year. Colonel Miell was chosen to proceed to South Africa with the first South Australian contingent, but was unable to go owing to be being prostrated with an attack of typhoid fever at the time of the departure of that contingent. Ultimately he accompanied the fifth contingent with the rank of lieutenant. Under the famous Colonel de Lisle he saw active service, participating in the engagements against De Wet at Graepan, against Smuts at Grootvlei, and the relief of Brackenlaagte. On the latter occasion De Lisle's column did a forced march from Standerton to the beleaguered town, covering 66 miles in a few hours. On his return to Australia the colonel was appointed to the command of the third squadron of the 17th Australian Light Horse at Port Pirie, being promoted to the rank of captain in 1905. In 1912 he received the command of the 24th Light Horse, with headquarters at Port Pirie, the district extending from Maitland, in Yorke Peninsula, and to Broken Hill. In 1912 the colonel was awarded the long-service medal. Colonel Miell was a pastoralist, and was the owner of the well-known Yalpara Station in the north-east, and the Roscommon Estate at Crystal Brook. He was 45 years of age." - from the Adelaide Daily Herald 19 Aug 1915 (nla.gov.au)
 
"THE LATE COL. MIELL.

The late Lieut.-Col. Miell wrote the following letter to Mr.W J. Sowden, President of the Wattle Day League and of the Cheer-up Society. The note was dated from Gallipoli Peninsula, August 2, 1915:-

"My regiment goes into the trenches for 14 days. Then out in reserve for 14. We have now done three terms in the trenches and are having our third rest. As a matter of fact, it is just as dangerous, and not half as interesting in reserve as it is in the firing line. It would be amusing, if it were not so painfully sad the way the great dailies of Australia have spoken of us holding Maidos and dominating the heights around. We hope to dominate them in a few days. At present every part of our position can be shelled any hour. As I scrawl these few lines in my dugout, overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean, a few shells are playfully shrieking overhead. Sometimes one plumps into a dugout. If it bursts, and the occupants are at home, some souls go out on the east wind, who died for Britain's sake. Long before this reaches you the criticism of The Times will have been read by you, and you will know that history has repeated itself here. J. Bull always starts a campaign like this. Still, we are going to win; but at what a cost! The weather here has been very warm, but not oppressively hot during the daytime; it is delightfully cool at night, and we enjoy our dip in the briny. It will be lovely when we clear up the situation here, and can resume our roles as mounted troops. Trench warfare is not inspiring, and does not appeal to a cavalry man. I delivered your message from the Cheer-ups to the regiment. All the men were delighted to hear from you. We claim that the society which has done and is doing so much good was largely brought into existence because the 9th light Horse was a crowd of friendless bushmen. The charming girls took pity on them, and so the excellent society was brought into existence through the powerful agency of The Register. The grateful thanks of the regiment go out to the society. I am very proud of the splendid fellows in the regiment. Of course, there are a few wasters in the forces, but very few indeed in the 9th. I am sorry that this will not reach you in time for Wattle Day. If I am through the great attack, my thoughts will be with you and the Wattle League. I will try to get a cable through to you. Of course, cables are very difficult to get away from here. It is a case of sending them with some one to Egypt. Possibly next by Wattle blossom Day the war will be over, and the survivors back in dear Australia inhaling the sweet scent of our national blossom. Four days after this letter was written the gallant colonel was killed instantly in action." - from the Adelaide Register 07 Oct 1915 (nla.gov.au)

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