Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Percy Miller Jnr was the eldest of 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, all of whom survived. I believe his mother Ann/Annie, born at South Shields, County Durham, in 1872, is one in the same as Ann Brown (9) who with her elder sister Alice (11) was listed in the 1881 census as a pauper, living at South Shields Workhouse and by the age of 19 was employed as a servant in the home of, accountant, John Grimes, his wife Isabella and children at 5, Osbourne Terrace, Westoe, South Shields in 1891.
His father, George Percy Miller Snr native of South Shields, born 1870, married Annie Brown in the district of Castle Ward, Northumberland, during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1896, George Percy Jnr was born during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1897 at Lemington, Northumberland, as was his brother William Harold 1900. In 1901 they occupied number 20, Hulne Terrace, Lemington, where George Snr was a labourer at the steel plate mill and their daughters Alice Maud and Constance Annie were born in 1903 and 1908 respectively. George transferred his family to Walbottle, where he found work in the manufacturing of steel as a roller bogeyman and George Percy Jnr (14) as a tile cleaner at a tile manufacturing works,
When Britain declared war with Germany, new battalions were raised and the Territorial Forces were mobilised. George Percy Miller enlisted at Newburn, assigned as Private 1764 to the 4th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, he was posted to the Tyne defences. The Territorials were split into two lines during November 1914, the 1st Line for men willing to serve overseas, the 2nd Line for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas. Private Miller departed to France as part of the 1/4th Battalion Northumberland Fusilier, April 20th 1915. The division landed in France and having made its way to Belgium, without any nursery training or trench familiarisation was sent into the front line during the 2nd Battle of Ypres, April 22nd-May 25th 1915. The Germans had attacked using poison gas in the run up to the Battle of St. Julien, April 24th-May 5th, during which the 149th Brigade including the 1/4th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, was part of the British counterattack. Battle concluded they were redesignated as the 149th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division and returned to France.
The division was in the Montiny-en-Gohelle sector in August 1915 in training with the III Corps and unlike other divisions of the III Corps did not participate with them in any major offences on the Somme until the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd 1916. Having risen rapidly through the ranks the now Sergeant 1764 George Percy Miller Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action on the first day of battle, September 15th 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 72,319 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating men of the British and South African forces who died on the Somme before March 20th 1918 and have no known grave. Sergeant Miller was 19 years of age and single.
As per his will it was his mother Annie as sole legitimate who received all monies owed to him from the Army, also his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at, “Fircroft,” Northumberland Gardens, Walbottle, Newburn, Northumberland.
Annie Miller nee Brown died aged 57 years in 1929 registered at Castle Ward, Northumberland, George Percy Miller in 1941 aged 70 years, district of Tynemouth, Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
George Percy Miller is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
