Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

Five: Lieutenant D. W. Mills, Cheshire Regiment, wounded and taken prisoner at Maricourt, March 1918

1914-15 Star (6088 Pte., R. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.); Defence; Special Constabulary Long Service, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Supt. Douglas W. Mills) extremely fine

Pair: E. E. Mills, Volunteer Aid Detachment

British War and Victory Medals (V.A.D.) good very fine (7) £220-260

Douglas W. Mills was born in Hinckley, Leicestershire on 26 February 1895 and educated at Hickley Grammar School and St. Paul’s College, Cheltenham. He enlisted on 8 December 1914 into the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers and entered France/Flanders on 14 November 1915. He was commissioned into the 16th Cheshire Regiment on 4 August 1916 and on returning to France was posted to the 15th Cheshire Regiment (1st Birkenhead Battalion) in February 1918. Lieutenant Mills was listed as ‘missing’ on 24 March 1918. His papers contain a report written by him which states that he was with the 15th Battalion on 23 March 1918, when at about 3 a.m. the regiment was ordered into action at Clery Ridge, Maricourt on the Somme. When his position was overun he was shot in the right arm and was taken prisoner. He was repatriated on 11 December 1918. Sold with card box of issue for the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, this named to him and marked ‘Leicestershire’. Also with a quantity of copied service papers. The medals to his wife, Mrs Edith E. Mills, sold with copied m.i.c.