Myles Boddington was born at Monton House, near Eccles, on 9th June 1891 into the famous Boddington family of brewers. His grandfather, Henry Boddington, had started life as a traveller for an old brewery firm that had been established in 1778, named Messrs. John Harrison & Co., a business which subsequently passed into his own hands and was steadily developed into one of the most successful breweries in the country. When he died, in 1886, he left an estate valued at over £146,000 – in today’s terms, some tens of millions of pounds. Of the children born to Henry Boddington, one was a son, William Slater, so named in honour of his mother Martha Slater. William studied law and went on to become a partner in the law firm of Messrs. Grundy, Boddington, and Ball. He was also a director of the family brewery, which was, by now a public company.

Myles grew up into a life of privilege and servants, even though his father passed away in 1908 when he was seventeen. The youngest son in a family of five boys and three girls, he was a good singer and a fine pianist. His early education took place at Abbey School, Beckenham, and then at Shrewsbury School, before he went up to University College, Oxford, in 1910, where he was Choregus, played in the Football XI for two years, and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1913.

The Salopian later wrote “His charming face, his delightful manners, made him favourite at once and everywhere, and he will be missed by a host of friends here and at Oxford and in his regiment.”

At the time war broke out, at the end of July 1914, Myles was articled to the Manchester solicitor Mr. Alfred Whitworth. He enlisted and received his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in 5th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, in September 1914, and was gazetted full Lieutenant in the newly-formed 6th Battalion just two months later.

This Battalion came under the command of 60th Brigade, 20th (Light) Division. After training at Aldershot for some months, the Battalion moved on to Larkhill in April 1915. Situated on the south edge of the Salisbury Plain, construction of the Larkhill Camp was begun almost immediately after the commencement of war as a School of Instruction for Royal Horse and Field Artillery, but was not completed until early 1915. The buildings were mainly built of corrugated iron, and the roads were constructed using chalk, which was the predominant local stone. A military light railway connected the Camp with the London and South Western Railway at Amesbury Station, just three miles away.

On 24th June 1915, the 20th Division was inspected by King George V at Knighton Down. By that time all equipment had arrived and the Division was adjudged ready for war, and so it was that Myles found himself landing at Boulogne-sur-Mer in France on 22nd July. Within four days all units had completed the crossing into France, and the Division concentrated itself in the Saint-Omer area. Early trench familiarisation and training then took place around the area of Fleurbaix.

In October 1915 Myles was gazetted Captain, and in the King’s Birthday Honours List on 1st June 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross “for conspicuous gallantry in the field.” He was quoted as saying that he couldn’t imagine why he should receive the distinction, but his friends said they knew better.

The 20th Division took part in the Battle of Mount Sorrel from 2nd to 13th June 1916, in sometimes driving rain and appalling conditions. It is known that the 6th Battalion was stationed to the west of Ypres in the days before it travelled south to the Somme, and it continued to suffer some losses throughout that time. However, some fierce fighting must have occurred on 30th June as, according to CWGC records, the Battalion lost no fewer than twelve men that day, followed by a further five on the next day.

Amongst the five killed on 1st July 1916 were two Captains, one of whom was Myles Boddington. It could be assumed that, because Myles was killed on 1st July 1916, he must have been involved in the first day of the Battle of the Somme, but that would clearly seem to be not the case, as he was buried at Vlamertinghe, which is five miles to the west of Ypres, in the area where he was stationed prior to moving to the Somme.

Myles Boddington’s death was reported in the Manchester Evening News, together with a photograph, on 6th July 1916. The following day a Memorial Service took place at the Bowden Parish Church, at which a large congregation was present. In March of the following year a faculty was granted allowing his mother to place a tablet of brass in the church in his memory.

The Military Cemetery at Vlamertinghe contains 1,175 Commonwealth burials from the First World War, as well as three German graves. It is particularly remarkable for the care with which men of the same unit were buried side by side if they died at about the same time. Myles Boddington’s grave is III. A. 21 and the inscription his mother, Mary, chose for the headstone was “The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God.”

His name was also included on the family grave in All Saints Churchyard at Thelwall. In addition to the memorial at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Bowden, Myles is also remembered on the Althincham District Roll of Honour. 

Mary received a War Gratuity of £5, having previously received her son’s personal effects amounting to £111 3s 1d. Probate on Myles’s estate amounted to £5,619 2s. 4d., granted to his youngest sister Sybil.