Private Horace Millward

My family have a relation, Ernest J Hall, who was killed in action in October 1918, and he has a plaque bearing his name on a tree which we have seen in the Memorial Park. But from another side of the family we have information of a Pvt Horace Millward, of the Worcestershire Regiment, who was a Coventry man. He was killed in action on 12 February 1945, and he is remembered in Taukkyan Cemetery, Rangoon, Burma. I gather that there is a visitor centre in the Memorial Park, and am wondering if I can access more information about him from this online. Does anyone know, please?

There are two places you could look. Commonwealth War Graves Forces War Records War graves you can just look with no membership. War records you have join but no problems. You should be able to get information on both.

This is all I can find in the newspaper archive. CET March 1945

Ironic, two Horaces were killed on the same day. The other was in the 2nd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment. Taken from the Forces War Records.

This is confusing. The o p mentions Worcestershire Regiment, whilst the Telegraph report shows Leicestershire. This is from the War Graves Commission..

The roll of honour on Ancestry says Worcestershire Regiment. As we know the CET are very good at making errors.

All details seem to be valid except the CET notice listing Leicestershire Reg. Ancestry shows a Horace Millward born 11th Jan 1917 in Coventry and a marriage to [Mabel] Eileen Galloway in October 1940. Son Barry was born in 1942. Wife Eileen sadly died in 1946 [the year after Horace’s death] aged 30. All details on Ancestry & Commonwealth War Graves Commission state Worcestershire Reg. This certificate is freely available to download on War Graves Site.

The strange thing is, it isn’t a report, it’s a ‘family notice’, presumably written by a relative.

Horace Millward was my great uncle. He was in the Worcestershire Regiment. The newspaper cutting was done by Horace's sister Elsie, known as Sis. Dolly was my grandmother, Dorothy, married to Fred Millward. He was an undertaker all his life in Coventry (Maton and Sons), as were his brother Harold and their father, also Frederick; between them they did 122 years!

Hi hanguy55, welcome to the forum. Thanks for adding to the great work the others have done. It's lovely when family or friends find each other!

Hanguy55’s information explains the 1939 Register that shows Horace living at 15 Byron Street but with a family named Dalton. Charles & Horace’s sister Elsie. Charles Dalton was an Undertakers Assistant and they lived next door to Edward Maton [Funeral Directors]

Helen, Hanguy is my half sister who has been part of our lives for the past 5/6 years. We knew of her but never realised who she was. There are lots of questions that we will never get answered, but I’m just glad that she’s now one of the family.

It's this sort of work and discovery which makes me happy and proud to be a part of the group at the Coventry Historic Forum.

I could be wrong but I think Dalton was the married name of Elsie. My grandparents moved in to 14 Byron Street; either after the retirement or death of Edward (Ted) Maton. Maton and Sons also had premises in Swanswell Street. I was born at number 14 in 1955. My grandparents lived there until it was compulsory purchased by the council for the hospital.