Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Mills, a cab driver, born on the 4th August 1874 in Loughborough, Leicestershire (son of John Mills, 1838-1900 and Mary Freestone, 1847-1906) and his wife Hannah Maria Mills (nee Glasse, married on the 10th November 1894 in Emmanuel Church, Loughborough), born on the 16th September 1868 in Harrow Weald, Middlesex and baptised on the 27th September 1868 in All Saint’s Church, Harrow (daughter of Henry (Harry) Glasse and Sarah Rainbow). George Henry was born in the January quarter of 1897 in Loughborough, his siblings were, Lily, born on the 12th October 1895 and Mabel, born in the April quarter of 1899, both his siblings were born in Loughborough, in March 1901 the family home was at 1, Moor Lane, Loughborough. In April 1911 George was employed as a turner and was residing in the family home at 80D, Wellington Street, Loughborough, together with his father, a cab driver, his mother and siblings, Lily, a hosiery trade runner on, Mabel, a schoolgirl, Wilfred, a schoolboy, born on the 7th April 1904, Harold, a schoolboy, born on the 19th February 1907 and Eric, born on the 5th June 1910, the latter three siblings were all born in Loughborough. George also had a younger sibling, Florence, who was born in the July quarter of 1901 in Loughborough and who died in the April quarter of 1902 in Loughborough.
George’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers. All that is known of George’s period of military service is that he had enlisted/attested in Loughborough, Leicestershire into the Royal Horse, Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force), and had been allotted the service number 399. He is then recorded as having been posted as a Driver to the Royal Field Artillery. He first entered the theatre of war in France on the 5th March 1915 either with or to join his Unit and was transferred to the 46th Divisional Ammunition Column as a Driver. Under the Army Council Instruction of 1917 that promulgated a new numbering system for all Territorial Force units, he was allotted the service number 820657. With the exception of the War Diary entries that relate to his Units movements and daily occurrences, there is no information regarding George’s military service. On the 29th May 1917 he was officially reported as having been killed in action, he was buried in Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery British Extension, France. George was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal On the 6th February 1918 George’s mother was awarded a weekly Army Pension of four shillings and six pence to commence on the 19th February 1918, this was increased to five shillings per week on the 6th November 1918.
The War Diary records: 29 May-17 – BULLY GRENAY. OO No.94 issued to Officer Commanding V, Y and Z Batteries as preliminary orders. These Batteries between this date and the morning of 2/6/17 are to construct positions and the guns to be ready for action. They will cut wire in front of AHEAD TRENCH. Dates and times of this operation to be notified later.
V/46 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery fired on to HILL 65 doing considerable damage to trenches. In the early morning Z/46 Trench Mortar Battery retaliated to hostile Trench Mortar’s with good effect on to AHEAD TRENCH.
Casualties: - 2nd Lieutenant W. W. LEE wounded and admitted to Hospital and 1 Other Rank killed and 1 Other Rank wounded but remained at duty. (All Z/46 Battery).
On Friday May 31st 1918 The Loughborough Echo published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.” “IN MEMORIAM.” MILLS. – In loving memory of Gunner G. H. Mills, killed in action May 29th 1917.
Days of sadness still come o’er us.
Tears of sorrow often flow.
Memory keeps our loved one near us.
Whom God claimed one year ago.
From his sorrowing mother, Father, Sisters and Brothers.