Personal Profile Collection
Verne Butler Millensmall.jpg)
Short Biography:
Verne Millen was born in Harmony, Colchester County, NS, on September 15, 1900, the son of James and Margaret Millen. He enlisted in the 193rd Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) on May 9, 1916, in Truro, NS. He was only 16 years old at the time. His service number was 902470 and he held the rank of private. Verne trained in Aldershot, NS with his battalion and went overseas to England with them later that year as part of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. They left Halifax in October, 1916, on the troop ship R.M.S. Olympic, sister ship of the R.M.S. Titanic.
A few months after arriving in England, the 193rd Battalion was disbanded in order to provide reinforcements for Canadian battalions fighting at the front. As a result, in January, 1917, Verne was transferred to the 17th Reserve Battalion for several months before being relocated to the Canadian Forestry Corps in early May, 1917. His new unit was stationed in England. In February, 1918, Verne fractured his leg when a heavy roller struck him. In May, 1918, after a year spent with the Canadian Forestry Corps, Verne was transferred back to the 17th Reserve Battalion for several months before being posted to a fighting unit, the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). He joined them at the front in early September, 1918, and became a piper and a stretcher bearer. Verne served with the 85th Battalion through to the end of the war and was with the battalion when they arrived back in Halifax on the troop ship SS Adriatic, in June, 1919. Verne was discharged from the army shortly after arriving home.
After the war, Verne moved to northern Alberta where he met and married Lila Brown of Saskatchewan. In 1940, Verne, with his wife and two new sons, moved back to Nova Scotia. They settled in Debert where Verne ran a restaurant and a third son was born. Verne was later employed as a stationary engineer and worked in Gagetown, NB, for a while in the 1960’s. He eventually retired to Great Village, NS, and passed away in 1974.
Notes on the Collection:
Thanks to Walter Millen of Great Village, NS, son of Verne Millen, for sharing family photos of his father and uncle and for providing family information.