Please pass on my commendation to Jason G. Antonio for the excellent piece he wrote in the Express on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, about a local soldier, Pte. W.J Milne VC.
My home is only a few miles from the farm that he was employed at when he decided to join up. A plaque was erected to honour his courage. It is located on the east side of the gravel road at the entrance to the farm.
It is very sad that such a brave man didn’t survive that important and pivotal battle ie. Vimy Ridge; what makes it even sadder is that he was killed by what is known today as “friendly fire”! That terrible incident was recalled by Pte. Purl Moore (16th battalion at Vimy Ridge) quote, “While we were waiting to go on one of our shells exploded too soon. Short as we called it. The shrapnel hit Milne in the back and killed him.” Transcribed from the memoirs of Pte. Purl Moore. I obtained this information from, I’m told, a very trustworthy and accurate source.
I, and I’m sure many of your readers, look forward to the end of the war and the great waste of life. – Isa 2:4
So there you have it and as the late great Paul Harvey would say “Now you know the rest of the story.”
Kind regards,
Stewart Godfrey
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
