Next of kin plaque : Lieutenant F J Miller, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force

Bronze next of kin plaque showing Britannia and a lion together with the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR'. The name of the dead soldier, 'FREDERICK JAMES MILLER', is inscribed in raised letters within a raised rectangle. The initials 'ECP', for the plaque's designer Edward Carter Preston, appear above the lion's right forepaw. The plaque is contained within a circular wooden frame with a dark brown varnished finish. A spray of wild dog roses, in a lighter shade of brown, is painted at the top and bottom of the frame.

This next of kin plaque was sent to Emily Begbie, the sister of Second Lieutenant Frederick James Miller who died of illness while serving with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. Miller was born in Marrickville, NSW in 1879. Tragedy struck the family early in his life, when his father James died in 1888. Miller and his two sisters were then raised by their mother.

He attended Sydney Grammar school before moving into accountancy. His mother died in 1902 after which Miller travelled to New Guinea where he took up a job as an accountant with the German firm Hamburg Sud See Aktingesellschaft.

When the First World War was declared, Miller was interned by the Germans at Rabaul. He was released in September 1914 when soldiers of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) accepted the surrender of German forces at Rabaul.

After his release, Miller took up a post with the Federal Islanders Plantation. On 19 February 1917, he was given an honorary commission with the rank of second lieutenant in the ANMEF. He was then put in charge of the Lands Office, before moving to the Treasury Department as Assistant Auditor.

Miller fell ill on 29 January 1918 with malaria and was sent to hospital for treatment. Over the next three weeks he remained quite ill, but was stable and the medical staff believed he would recover. However, on the morning of 16 February, Miller's condition worsened and he died. He was buried in the Rabaul cemetery.