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Francis George Miles was born in 1896 and lived in the village of Clearwell in the Forest of Dean. Like many of his generation; he left school at the age of 13 and went to work in the Princes Royal Company mines near his home.

Aged 18 when war broke out, he was filled with patriotism and enlisted with his stepfather on 28 December 1914 in the 9th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment.

After training the regiment was sent to France where Francis was wounded and sent back to Britain. While he was recovering from his injuries his regiment was sent to the Salonika front in Greece. Once he was well enough to return to active service he was assigned to the Royal Engineers as a tunneller because of his experience as a miner in the Forest of Dean. He was once again wounded when an exploding shell buried him alive, leaving him as the sole survivor out of a team of 50 men.

Francis re-joined the Gloucesters and was sent with the 1/5th battalion to Italy. In September the regiment was recalled to France for the final days of the war. It was in the battle of Selle in October 1918 that his regiment was given the job of clearing part of the Bois L’Eveque. During the operation his company was held up by a line of enemy machine guns in a sunken road. It was for his actions during this clearance operation that he would be awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry of the highest order.

On 6 January 1919, the London Gazette reported:

‘Private Miles alone, and on his own initiative, went forward, under exceptionally heavy fire, located a machine-gun, shot the gunner and put the gun out of action. Observing another gun nearby, he again advanced alone, shot the gunner, rushed the gun and captured the team of eight. Finally, he stood up and beckoned to his company, who, acting on his signals, were able to work round the rear of the line and to capture 16 machine-guns, one officer and 50 other ranks. It was due to the courage, initiative and entire disregard of personal safety shown by this gallant soldier that the company was able to advance at a time when the delay would have jeopardized seriously the whole operation.’

After Francis Miles had been invested with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace he returned to his home village to work in the colliery. The wounds he had suffered during the war would leave him with poor health for the rest of his life. He died on 8 November 1961, and is buried in St Peter's Churchyard in Clearwell.

In 2003, members of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regimental Association gathered to pay tribute to Private Francis Miles VC. The Association was disturbed to discover the deteriorating condition of his grave and headstone, so decided – with the family's permission – to commission a new stone. On 23 May 2004, a new headstone was dedicated to Francis Miles VC in St Peter's Churchyard.

The Regimental Association and the local branch of the Royal British Legion visit his grave each November on the Sunday prior to Remembrance Sunday. A wreath is laid following prayers.

Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, 31 Commercial Road, Gloucester, GL1 2HE
Image: Private Francis George Miles, courtesy of Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum

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