Private 17989, 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, attached 8th Brigade, Machine Gun Corps. Died 03/04/1916.

 

Son of Charles Mills, a general labourer, and Jessie Mary nee Welham, of 63, Chapel Lane, Walton, Felixstowe.  The second of eight children.

 

Robert entered the conflict on 6th July 1915 in France and gained the 1914 - 1915 Star. The 2nd Battalion saw action at the Second attack on Bellewaarde (25/09/15) and Recapture of the Bluff (02/03/16) before the Capture of St. Eloi Crater (27/03/16)  An attack had been planned in summer 1915 to use mined tunnels to attack, 4 mines were placed under German lines & 2 in no mans land an artillery attack was planned for 30 seconds after these were exploded. In the melee one of the craters was left in German hands who immediately started a retaliatory bombardment and the support battalions suffered heave losses. Crater No. 5 was finally captured early 03/04/16 but Robert had been wounded. He died of wounds on the 3rd of April 1916 and is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery