Private William Johnstone Milne

Private, 16th Battalion, Infantry (Army).

Victoria Cross
Comment: Milne was 24 years old, and a private in the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. On 9 April 1917 near Thelus, France, Milne saw an enemy machine-gun firing upon fellow troops. Crawling on hands and knees he managed to reach the gun, kill the crew, and capture the gun. Milne later repeated this action against a second enemy machine-gun crew, but was killed shortly afterwards.
Notes: Canadian War Museum Ottawa.

Son of David Milne. Born December 21st, 1892, in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He emigrated to Canada in 1910 and farmed near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, prior to joining the army. He enlisted at Moose Jaw in September 1915. Private Milne's body was not recovered from the battlefield. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial, France.

William Johnstone Milne was born in Cambusnethan, Scotland on 21 December 1892 and came to Canada in 1910, settling in Saskatchewan. During the First World War he served with the 16th Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

On 9 April 1917, the 16th Infantry Battalion took part in the successful attack by the Canadian Corps on Vimy Ridge, the strongest German defensive position in northwestern France. Early that day, the advance of Private Milne’s company was checked by machine gun fire. Crawling forward, he put the crews of two machine guns out of action and captured their guns. Milne was killed a short time later, and his body was never recovered.

For his conduct in this action, Private Milne was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.

“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. On approaching the first objective, Pte. Milne observed an enemy machine gun firing on our advancing troops. Crawling on hands and knees, he succeeded in reaching the gun, killing the crew with bombs, and capturing the gun. On the line re-forming, he again located a machine gun in the support line, and stalking the second gun as he had done the first, he succeeded in putting the crew out of action and capturing the gun. His wonderful bravery and resource on these two occasions undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his comrades. Pte. Milne was killed shortly after capturing the second gun.”

(London Gazette, No. 30122, June 8, 1917)

Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial

Parents were married on 6th October, 1885, at 3 Hope St., Newmains, Cambusnethan, after publication of banns according to the forms of the United Presbyterian Church.

Details of death from Ancestry.com which includes a digitized image of the casualty form from the "Canada, War Graves Registers (Circumstances of Casualty), 1914-1948” database. This document shows he was "Killed In Action," in an "Attack South West of Thelus."

His was one of four Victoria Crosses awarded at Vimy Ridge. The others were for: Lance Sergeant Ellis Wellwood Sifton , Major (Later Lieutenant Colonel) Thain Wendell MacDowell and Private John George Pattison.