Studio portrait of 5368 Private (Pte) George Milliken, 18th Battalion from Gerilanbone, NSW. A 25 ...

Accession Number H06198
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Print silver gelatin
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Studio portrait of 5368 Private (Pte) George Milliken, 18th Battalion from Gerilanbone, NSW. A 25 year old labourer prior to enlisting on 21 February 1916, he embarked for overseas with the 14th Reinforcements from Sydney aboard HMAT Wiltshire (A18) on 22 August 1916. After arriving in England, he proceeded to France in July 1917 and was wounded in action on 5 October, spending just over two weeks undergoing medical treatment. He was wounded for the second time on 5 November 1917 and was evacuated to England for medical treatment and recuperation. Three months later he returned to his battalion and was awarded a Military Medal (MM) for his actions on the morning of 19 May 1918 at Morlancourt. Pte Milliken and two other soldiers volunteered to form a bombing party and succeeded in killing or wounding all of the opposing enemy garrison and capturing two machine guns that had been enfilading his battalion’s lines. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 16 August. After being wounded in action for the third time on 23 July 1918, he spent another three months in treatment and recuperation. He was promoted to Corporal on 8 November 1918 and arrived back in Australia on 8 September 1919. His brother 1971 Pte John Robert Milliken, 2nd Pioneer Battalion died of wounds in France on 2 August 1916.