Page 37 - WW1 - 1917

Redditch Local History Society Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1

Ancestry site Military records

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Private Charles Thornton, Service No G53323, 4 Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London
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Regiment), born and resided Redditch, enlisted in Birmingham, killed in action, 9 April 1917,
Western European Theatre. Formerly S/4/05856, A.S.C. Awarded the British War Medal and
Victory Medal.
(On 1911 census Charles was married to Annie and they lived at Bradley Green, Redditch. Charles was a
Labourer on a farm.)

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Private William Norris Milward, (203837), 1/7 Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, born
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and resided in Redditch, enlisted in Worcester, killed in action, 13 April 1917, Western
European Theatre. Remembered on Thiepval Memorial, Picardie, France.

A William Millward is mentioned on St Stephen’s war memorial and Remembering Redditch’s Fallen Heroes
book has the following:-
William Millward was born about 1898 in Redditch and the oldest child of Walter and Gertrude Millward’s two
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children. They lived at 89 Ipsley Street, Redditch. William served with the Worcestershire Regiment 1/7
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Battalion and was killed in action 13 April 1917.

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The Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Redditch Messenger – Saturday 14 April
1917

Other Local Casualties
Killed
(23563) W. E. Jarvis – Royal Fusiliers from Redditch
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(On Ancestry site, Military records, Walter Edward Jarvis (B23563), 23 Battalion, Royal
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Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Born, resided and enlisted in Redditch killed in action 17
February 1917, Western European Theatre. Buried Regina Trench Cemetery Grandcourt,
Picardie, France.)
Remembered on St Stephen’s war memorial, Redditch.
(On ancestry site probate records Walter Edward Jarvis, lived 10 Church Green East, Redditch.)

Ancestry site Military records

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Private Samuel Merry, born and enlisted in Redditch, Service No 8711, 9 Battalion,
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Worcestershire Regiment, died at Sea, 15 April 1917. Mentioned on Chatby Memorial,
Alexandria, Egypt.
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Information taken from Remembering the Fallen website states that on 15 April 1917,
Samuel was one of over 2,600 troops on board the SS Cameronia enroute from Marseilles to
Alexandria, Eygpt when the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine U-33, 150 miles
off the coast of Malta. The ship sank within 40 minutes, the exact number of lives lost varies
significantly from different sources but Samuel Merry was one of those who drowned.
Remembered on St Stephen’s war memorial.
(On 1911 census Samuel Merry, aged 16, Rod Maker, lived with his parents Thomas and Catherine Merry, at No
6 Monks Buildings, Ipsley.

© RLHS 2014 Page: 37