Milton NORTH

16148, Private. b. 1895, Bradford d. 1st October 1915 (aged 20).

Although younger than his sibling Frank, Milton joined up before his brother in Pontefract into the 9th (Service) Battalion of the K.O.Y.L.I’s. By October 1915 he had been serving in France for just a mere three weeks; the 21st division to which Milton belonged only arrived in the trenches in the third week in September. To be precise, the 9th battalion only reached the front line on the 21st September, so this unit had a total of four days’ experience of the conflict when they were thrown into battle on the 25th.

The area they were stationed in was called Loos, and it has become known as one of the main offensive campaigns of late 1915. This was to be the 9th’s first major engagement and also Milton’s only one – he was severely wounded in the third day of the advance on Septmber 27th. Despite being taken to a base hospital he died from the gunshot wound to the leg he had received, and was buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery near to the hospital on 1st October.

Within their first week of trench warfare the 9th battalion, having a compliment of 1100 men, lost 13 ordinary ranks and 2 officers killed outright, 167 wounded (of which many like Milton died later on) and 34 missing, presumed dead. Today, when compared to some of the later battles this could be classed as ‘light’ casualties – a sobering thought when considering the loss of life within a single new unit.

Milton was employed by Messrs. Henry Briggs & Co of Clayton Heights before enlisting. He was the Assistant Secretary of Stocks Lane Sunday School and played for Highgate Rangers A.F.C.

Milton is also remembered on the Queensbury War Memorial. You can read more about Milton here.

Milton’s and Frank’s father Ben and Mum Susannah are, in 1939 aged 75 and 73 still living at 32 Highgate Road. Franks younger Brother Alfred L North had married Lily and was in 1939, living at Bradford Road, Shipley and following in his fathers footsteps as an Electric Trolley Bus Driver, it looks as if they had 3 children.