MILLS, William

William Mills was born in Lye and enlisted in the East Surreys. He was later transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. They served in the last stages of the Somme in 1916 and in the battles of Arras in April 1917. They moved to Flanders for the last advance of Third Ypres and took part in the attacks on the Passchendaele ridge. The Fusiliers were involved in two major attacks in late October. On the 26th the attack failed and on the 30th, in the face of poor weather and under heavy German shelling, the second attack also failed. Among the casualties on that day was Private William Mills who is commemorated on the Tyne Cot, Lye and Wollescote and Lye church memorials.