Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021
Blacksmith’s striker William Henry Mills, 31, was born in Portsmouth, UK. He had military service there, being in the 2nd Hampshire Volunteer Garrison Artillery for two years. In 1915, Mills lived with his wife, Ellen Gertrude Mills, and his son, William Arthur, in Rawson Street, Auburn. He was a member of Auburn Methodist Church and was one of seven Auburn Memorial men who were members of the United Ancient Order of Druids, Liberty Plains Lodge, whose diligent secretary lived at 51 Auburn Road, Auburn.
Enlisting at Liverpool, NSW, on 24 June 1915, Private Mills made it to the Gallipoli peninsular for the last five weeks before the evacuation. Returning to Egypt, Mills was promoted to Sergeant and allocated to the 1st Battalion. The battalion proceeded to France arriving at the French port of Marseilles on 28 March 1916.
Sergeant Mills suffered a hernia less than a month after arrival on the Western Front. He was taken back to the Lady Northcote’s Hospital in England, where he spent 15 months recovering. He returned to his battalion at the end of August 1917 and was killed in action a month later, in the 3rd Battle of Ypres in Belgium. Mills had been in the AIF for over two years, with his time in areas of danger totaling four months.
Altogether 14 Auburn Memorial men perished in the 3rd Battle of Ypres. Eleven out of the 14 (78%), like Mills, were married. The 11 married men left behind in Auburn 16 children under 14 years of age. Mills was buried in the Oxford Road Cemetery, north-east of Ypres in Belgium.
William Mills is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Auburn Methodist Church First World War Honour Roll
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- Victory Medal
- British War Medal 1914-20
- 1914-1915 Star
