Milliken, Thomas Whyte

“Thomas Whyte Milliken was a public school teacher and must have been held in high regard in the community for he is mentioned on several cenotaphs, and was the subject of extensive newspaper articles.

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He joined the 135th Btn 3 Dec 1915 and was transferred to the 15th Btn on the 29 Nov 1916. He was killed in action by enemy shell fire in an attack at Boi-des-Alleux France on the 12th of March 1917. He is buried at Villers Station Cemetery Villers-au-Bois France. He is mentioned several places as Ltn. Milliken, but there is no reference to this in his service file.”

[Source: Strathroy Museum]

There are several official documents of Private Milliken’s service on the Strathroy Museum website. There is one record that has Pte. crossed out and replaced with Sgt. but it appears to be an anomaly and Thomas died a Private.

Historians tend to relate the events directly leading up to major battles that were part of the plans created by Central Headquarters planners.  However, there were relatively minor incidents that were happening daily which became critical in the lives of individual soldiers.

“For some months afterward (Editor: after the Somme) the battalion endured the hard, ordinary work of the trenches without the glamour of a spectacular action to relieve the monotony. Fighting, indeed, for all Canadian units died down for some time. There were the usual sniping excitements, trench raids, patrols, and periods in which training was undergone in the back areas. But it was not until the great smashing attack was delivered on Vimy Ridge that the good and lasting effects of those months of training were seen. It was essentially a Canadian victory.”

[Source: http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/writing/13th.htm]

Private Milliken’s death was one of ‘minor’ incidents that are part of the daily risks of war. He was killed the month before the Battle of Arras at Vimy Ridge. During that time some battalions were on the front line and others were training behind the front lines for their roles in the upcoming major battle. Some battalions were being moved from one spot to another to provide relief to other battalions.

In early March, 1917 Private Milliken’s battalion, the 48th Highlanders, was undergoing training and moving from place to place on its way to provide relief to the 13th Battalion.  Private Milliken was in Number  2 Company in the 48th Battalion, in the 15th Battalion, in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade, in the 1st Canadian Division of the army.

Here is an anecdotal summary of the events of March 12th, 1917:

“On March 12th the Highlanders began moving forward with half-hour intervals between companies, to relieve the 13th Battalion. Royal Highlanders of Canada, in a new section facing the Vimy Ridge.  The 3rd C.I.B. was now placed on the right of the Canadian Corps and near the right of the Ridge. The route was not long, so that it was a fresh unit which relieved the 13th in support in the great chalk caves of Maison Blanche near Neuville St. Vaast. The misfortune of the reflief, a thing liable to happen at any time when travelling the back roads, was that No.’s 1 and 2 Companies ran into severe shell-fire and had eight casualties, three men of No. 2 Co. being killed.  Casualties while “holding” were accepted without comment, but casualties while moving in or out were resented.”

Here is what the official war diary of the 48th Battalion records for early March, 1917:

Ruiz. 8.3.17 At 9.00. a.m. Battalion moved off and marched to Cambrian L’Abbe.  On arrival going into billets. Arrived 12.45 p.m. No casualties.  Balance of day troops resting and cleaning up.

Cambrian L’Abbe. 9.3.17 At (.9A.M. Battalion moved off and marched to Bois-des Alleux.  Arriving in billets at 10.25 a.m. No casualties.  Balance of day units carried out kit inspections and Gas Helmets were inspected. also Box Respirators.

Bois-des-Alleux. 10.3.17 Units carried out Company Training when grounds and weather permitted, Three Companies carried out bathing parades.

Ditto. 11.3.17 Battalion Paraded at 11. A.M. for ChurchParade. During the afternoon. One Company and Details completed their bathing parades.

Ditto. 12.3.17 Units moved off at intervals of 30 minutes moving into Brigade Support Relieving the 13th Battalion. Relief completed at 3.27. p.m. with eight casualties. Day passed quietly also night.

Brigade Reserve, 13.3.17 Day passed quietly on our positions with no enemy activity to report. Working parties supplied Front Line.  Supports and Engineers.

Note: Each day’s entry was made and signed by C.E. Bent, Lieutenant – Colonel.  Commanding 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada).  If you weren’t looking for it, you might have missed it: “Relief completed at 3.27. p.m. with eight casualties.”  Two men were killed, six injured.  Private Milliken was one of the two killed in that second last sentence.

Editor’s Opinion: The last sentence, “Day passed quietly also night.”, provides perspective to the probable “numbness of emotion” that military commanders adopt during a “war of attrition” when thousands are killed every day. The responses to Private Milliken’s death, by those in Canada who had personal connections to him, provide a different perspective, a perspective that places more value on his life than that one sentence in the official war records diary.

The documents below were found at this Canadian website:

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Attestation Papers