George William Millward

Grandparents and parents

George’s maternal grandparents were Benjamin Millward (about 1856-1932) and Mary Louisa Davis (about 1857-1915), both born in Wribbenhall, Worcestershire. In 1881 they lived at Spring Terrace, Kidderminster, but by 1891 they had moved to 21 Moor St, West Didsbury. Benjamin was a labourer and in 1911 was employed by the Corporation as a sanitary labourer. In 1901 and 1911 they lived at 8 Park Avenue, West Didsbury. They had 6 children, Thomas, Mary Louisa Jnr, Arthur, Harriet, Sarah and Edith. In the 1911 census George was at Park Avenue with his grandparents. We believe that George’s mother was Mary Louisa Jnr (about 1878-1950). His father is unknown. His mother married Charles William Turner, a gardener and widower, of 10 Dale View, Cliffe Rd, Fairfield. They married on 8 November 1909 at the Albert Park Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Barlow Moor Rd. Mary was a domestic servant. Charles had 6 children from his previous marriage and he and Mary had 2 more after they married. At the time of George’s death, Mary Turner lived at 163 Love Lane, Heaton Norris.

George William

George was born in 1897 and his birth was registered in Chorlton. George enlisted in Manchester, service number 18945, and served with the 6th Battalion, King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) in Mesopotamia. He died on 29 August 1916 and is buried in the Amara War Cemetery, reference XIV. F. 2.

Amara War Cemetery

Amara was occupied by the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force on 3 June 1915 and it immediately became a hospital centre. The accommodation for medical units on both banks of the Tigris was greatly increased during 1916 and in April 1917, seven general hospitals and some smaller units were stationed there. Amara War Cemetery contains 4621 burials of the First World War, more than 3000 of which were brought into the cemetery after the Armistice. 925 of the graves are unidentified. In 1933, all of the headstones were removed from this cemetery when it was discovered that salts in the soil were causing them to deteriorate. Instead a screen wall was erected with the names of those buried in the cemetery engraved upon it. Plot XXV is a Collective Grave, the individual burial places within this are not known. There are also seven non-war graves in the cemetery. Whilst the current climate of political instability persists it is extremely challenging for the Commission to manage or maintain its cemeteries and memorials located within Iraq.