Medal card
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Alfred Milner, one of 9 children, of whom only 8 survived, was the 3rd born of 4 brothers, he had 1 elder and 3 younger sisters. His father William Milner, native of Castleside, County Durham, married at Gateshead, in 1873, to Mary Jane Shields of Gateshead, they were born in 1854 and 1855 respectively. They settled at Castleside where William was employed as a joiner and their children were born, John Joseph in 1874, Sarah Jane 1876, Thomas Gleason 1878 and Alfred 1880, William, July 9th 1882, Loretta and Elizabeth were born 1885 and 1887 respectively. By 1891 Thomas (13) was an errand boy, his younger siblings attended school and to further increase the family income they had taken in a boarder, 20-year-old John George Watson originally from Mickley, Northumberland, a joiner. Mary Jane gave birth to Henrietta in 1893 and by 1901 they had moved to Rose Cottage, Castleside. William (46), Thomas (23) and Alfred (20) were all joiners/carpenters by trade, William Jnr (18) a labourer at Consett Iron and Steel Company, Elizabeth (14) and Henrietta (8) remained at home with their mother. All of William and Sarah Ann’s surviving children had left home by 1911, John Joseph had died in 1906, aged 32 years, they still occupied 5 rooms at Rose Cottage.
Alfred, September 26th 1901, aged 20 years, had joined the Army at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, posted to the Royal Garrison Artillery Depot at Scarborough, Yorkshire, he was attested and assigned to the 24th Company, as Gunner 9089. Over the next 2 years he moved from Scarborough with the 24th to Woolwich with the 28th Company and Weymouth with the 68th Company. December 7th 1903 departing from England to Singapore, he arrived, January 8th 1904 and remained for 1 year 19 days during which time he was hospitalised suffering from scabies, 7th-16th March. Gunner Milner extended his service April 13th 1904 in order to complete 6 years. From Singapore the Royal Garrison Artillery departed to India arriving at Calcutta, January 20th 1905, also served at Darjeeling with the 70th Company. Alfred remained in India until November 6th 1908 transferring to Aden until November 16th 1909 when he returned to England.
Having returned to England he was assigned to the Army Reserve and returned to his employment as a carpenter’s joiner. He married in the district of Lanchester, County Durham, July 2nd 1910 to Mary Elizabeth Jordan, affectionately known as Polly, moving into her family home consisting of 2 rooms at 21, Quaking Houses, South Moor, Stanley. Head of the household was Polly’s widowed mother Euphemia, also living with her, son Frederick (23) working at the colliery as a coal miner, she also cared for 2 grandchildren, Robert (1) and Elsie (11-months).
When war was declared in 1914 with Germany, Albert Milner was living at Annfield Plain, he re-enlisted, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, August 27th 1914 assigned as SR1805, the letters SR indicating, “many regiments.” He departed as of 1916 with a new number 276805, 57th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery. The 57th first appears in the order of battle for France in March 1916 and was equipped with 8 inch Howitzers, attached to the Fourth Army, Gunner Milner would have been involved during the Battles of the Somme and in the spring of 1917 was in the Arras sector. Having been wounded in the line of duty Gunner Milner was evacuated back through the lines to the 30th Casualty Clearing Station at Aubigny where he succumbed to his wounds, April 8th 1917 and interred at Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France, 15 kilometres NW of Arras. Gunner Alfred Milner Royal Garrison Artillery is at rest grave I. L. 43, he was 34 years of age.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 19, Meldon Terrace, New Kyo, Annfield Plain, County Durham. She commissioned under the name of Mrs M.A. Jordan, at a cost of 3 shillings 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to Alfred’s military headstone, it reads, Thy Will Be Done.”
Mary Elizabeth Milner nee Jordan died in 1922, district of Lanchester, County Durham aged 43 years. Alfred and Mary’s marriage was childless.
Albert’s younger brother William who served from 1914-1918 as Private 18623 Yorkshire Regiment survived the conflict of WW1.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Alfred Milner is remembered at Castleside on C113.01
