Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Harry Godfrey Massy-Miles (1886 – 26 April 1918) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

medical officer who was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

for valour in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Family

He was the son of Revd. Joseph Henry Miles, and Adelaide Mary Louisa Massy. He was educated at

Bloxham School Bloxham School, also called All Saints' School, is an Independent school (UK), independent co-educational day and boarding school of the public school (UK), British public school tradition, located in the village of Bloxham, three miles (5 ...

from 1900 to 1903, and later studied medicine at the

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI), ( ga, Coláiste Ríoga Lianna na hÉireann) is an Irish professional body dedicated to improving the practice of general medicine and related medical specialities, chiefly through the accredit ...

, where he achieved his LRCP. He was married on 3 July 1911 at Zion Church,

Rathgar Rathgar (), is a suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It was originally a village which from 1862 was part of the township of Rathmines and Rathgar; it was absorbed by the growing city and became a suburb in 1930. It lies about three kilometres south of ...

, Dublin to Charlotte Elizabeth Josephine Ingle, eldest daughter of A. F. Ingle (Superintendent of Indian Post Offices), and Mrs. Ingle of 24 Grosvenor Place, Rathmines, Dublin.

Military career

He was assigned to the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

and appointed a temporary Lieutenant on 21 December 1914. He was then joined to the 8th London Regiment

Post Office Rifles The Post Office Rifles was a unit of the British Army, first formed in 1868 from volunteers as part of the Volunteer Force, which later became the Territorial Force (and later the Territorial Army). The unit evolved several times until 1921, af ...

, 58th Division. He was awarded the

. During several days of severe fighting he kept in close touch with the battalion, working unceasingly without rest during the whole period, dressing the wounded including the French. He showed great initiative in establishing forward regimental aid posts, reconnoitring their sites beforehand under heavy hostile shell fire, thus greatly assisting the rapid evacuation of casualties. His courage and cheerfulness throughout a period of great strain were beyond praise. He was at his Regimental Aid Post when he heard that a gas shell had burst on the Battalion H.Q. at

Villers-Bretonneux Villers-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway. Villers-Bretonneux border ...

, had pierced the roof, and penetrated into the cellar. He at once went to attend the cases and, when he had finished, returned to his post. Later, he complained of feeling ill and lay down. On getting worse, he was removed to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen where he died on 26 April 1918. His colonel wrote to his old school:

"Captain Massy Miles was with this division for a long time, and was one of my ablest and most gallant officers. He did splendid work during the retirement in March, and was awarded the Military Cross for his gallant work. We all deplore his loss deeply, and I lose a valued friend and trusty officer." R.I.P.The Bloxhamist, September 1918, Vol XLIV. No 384

He is buried in the St Sever Cemetery,

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

. A prize was established in his memory by his widow at the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Massy-Miles, Harry 1886 births 1918 deaths Royal Army Medical Corps officers Recipients of the Military Cross People educated at Bloxham School British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I Burials in France