Millson's "War & Peace" Abridged
Title
Millson's "War & Peace" Abridged
Description
An autobiography of Albert's time in the RAF.
Creator
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Five printed sheets
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
BMilsonAEMilsonAEv1
Transcription
[underlined] 02/02/2009 09:27 01424730138 [/underlined] M PAGE 01
[underlined] MILLSONS “WAR & PEACE” – ABRIDGED [/underlined]
[underlined] WAR [/underlined]
I joined the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserves at the beginning of 1939. With other V.R.’s I attended at Rochester Airport, Kent, hopefully to learn to fly, however, there were no aircraft at Rochester to train on. There were strong rumours each week that aircraft were on the way but none appeared. Our time was spent at lectures on subjects such as theory of flight, navigation and meteorology.
I was called up two days before war was declared. My orders were to report to the adjutant Marine Court Hastings. Marine Court was a large block of apartments on the seafront taken over by the R.A.F. Two other prospective airmen and myself were allocated an apartment. We waited and waited for a posting to a flying training unit. In the meantime I completed one of the first courses in the Link trainer in Derby. It was then back to Hastings and more waiting. We were told that the reason for the delay was the lack of training aircraft. Finally in April 1940 I was posted to R.A.F. Desford for training.
My flying training was not completed until May 1941 because of interruption by illness. Pilots under training had to pass a final flying test with the Chief Flying Instructor. I duly took my test and thought that I had [deleted] done [/deleted] [inserted] performed [/inserted] reasonably well. We were flying back to the airfield when the C.F.I. told me that I flew like a pregnant cow! I was still trying to work out this comment, when we landed and the C.F.I. departed for the flight office. I had obviously failed. With nothing to lose I started for the flight office with the intention of showing the C.F.I. how hard a cow could kick. I was met half way by my own instructor, he said “Congratulations” I had passed the test!
The R.A.F. leading up to this time was still somewhat of an elite club, however, with the loss of so many of the pre-war officers due to enemy action, the door was opening for new members. Myself, and nine other sergeant pilots were invited to live in the Officers Mess. We wore white armbands and were being watched and assessed as to our suitability for a commission. At the end of a fortnight, there were three of us left. We were obviously gentlemen and socially acceptable. We became officers soon afterwards.
As a young Pilot Officer just nineteen years old, I joined 101 Squadron based at West Raynham. The squadron flew Blenheim aircraft. When I arrived, I could not see any aircraft on the airfield. I reported to the Adjutant who told me that the last of the Squadron crews and aircraft were all missing on a German shipping strike that morning and that I was now the Squadron!
101 was now converting to Wellington bombers. Slowly, new crews and aircraft started to arrive and the Squadron was back in business. We started on mainly night raids on German targets. One daylight operation carried out by the Squadron was to find and bomb the German warships “Gneisnau” [sic] and “Scharnhorst” said to be sailing North up the North Sea. Myself and two of our more experienced crews took off in appalling weather conditions with little hope of being successful. We searched a different area each but made no contact and after over four hours returned to base.
[page break]
(2)
On our night sorties over Germany you had to fly through a roughly fifteen mile corridor, stretching North and South before you entered Germany proper. This corridor was packed with searchlights and ack ack guns. On a cloudless night a searchlight would pick out an aircraft, others would quickly latch on and the aircraft was caught in a circle of blinding light. The heavy flak would then arrive. Once caught in this manner it was very difficult to escape. We saw a number of aircraft shot down as a result.
We made a few operational sorties to Italy, Our route was as direct as possible – Thames estuary – a point south of Switzerland and direct to Turin. Each time we flew over the Thames estuary we were fired on by our own side! This in spite of the fact that the Navy and gun batteries having been warned we would be flying over. Flying over Switzerland was strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, on our first sortie to Italy, we made an error of navigation and flew directly over the country! A wonderful sight, no blackout, everywhere brightly lit up, even the boats on Lake Geneva. “V” for victory was being signalled to us all the way across. We saved time and, more important, fuel by flying across Switzerland. The next day the Swiss made a complaint about an aircraft violating their airspace!
On our second sortie to Italy we had two senior officers as passengers. They wanted to experience an operation sortie. Their first experience was being fired upon by by [sic] our own side over the Thames estuary. They were going to do something about that on our return! We thought it prudent to avoid Switzerland this trip and stayed on track to Turin. The flak over Turin was mild compared with Germany but it impressed our passengers. Returning over France, one of the officers stationed in the aircraft astrodome, reported enemy fighters coming in on the port side. I started evasive action – shortly afterwards “Mac” the rear gunner spoke up “No fighters Captain, there are however, several shooting stars!”
We had a very good ground crew who serviced our aircraft. After each operation, they would patch the holes made by the German flak and change any engine that had been badly hit. After about twenty operations the ground crew were patching the patches. The aircraft was retired to a training role and we received a new one straight from the factory.
During this period 1941-1942 we were suffering heavy losses. A first tour for aircrew was thirty operational sorties. Because of losses and the need to show new crew the “Ropes” I ended up completing forty six operations.
In November 1941, 101 Squadron moved to R.A.F. Bourne [sic]. April 1942, now a Squadron leader, I was posted for a rest period to R.A.F. Moreton in Marsh as a flight commander in the Operational Training Unit. We trained and converted crews to the Wellington bomber. When the crews completed and passed their course they were posted to various Squadrons. This posting was my so called rest period! however, the first of the thousand aircraft bomber raids came up. Training aircraft were required to make up the numbers and I went on the raid with a mainly untrained crew.
[page break]
02/02/2009 09:33 0142730138 M PAGE 03
(3)
[inserted] calculation [/inserted]
In August 1943 I was posted for a second tour of operations. I did a short conversion on to the four engined Halifax, my instructor was Flt. Lt. Fisher, another Old Juddian, and was then posted to 102 Squadron R.A.F. Pocklington. I found the German ack ack and the fighters were still as dangerous and frightening as on my first tour. A second tour was twenty operations, this time I completed my twenty and declared, enough was enough!
Promoted to Wing Commander I spent the next few months as Air 1 and aid to Air Commander J Walker. He was base commander and responsible for three operational stations. In September 1944 I was posted to Transport Command. My time with Bomber Command was now at an end.
Shortly after being promoted Wing Commander, I entered a hotel in York, and there sitting at the bar was the CFI from my training days. I thought, at last, I could sort out his comment that I flew like a pregnant cow, it still rankled a little. However, he seemed pleased to see me and wanted to know all about operational flying. He had applied several times for a posting to an operational squadron but had been turned down. This was understandable because during this period flying instructors were doing a far too important job to be risked on operational flying. After a few beers we parted as friends. In the end I didn’t bring up the subject of my flying ability. After all, I now outranked him and he did call me “Sir”.
NOTE 1. A most important event took place in September 1941. I married Jean, the nurse who looked after me when I was sick early in the War. From that time on I lived off the base wherever we were posted. We lived in hotels or rented accommodation. At that time you were not officially recognised as being married until you were twenty five years old. We therefore did not enjoy any of the married officers perks. However, we managed.
NOTE 2. On both my tours of operations I was very lucky in having excellent crew members. In particular I must mention my rear gunner “Mac” Mackay an Australian. He was with me, guarding my back, on both my first and second tour of operations. He knocked years off his age in order to join the R.A.F. but was actually nearly twice my age. A deadly shot with his guns, he saved us many times from German fighters.
September 1944 to November 1944 I was one of three Operation Controllers on a shift system at 46 Group Headquarters Transport Command and then to R.A.F. Broadwell as O.C. Operations and flying. There were two squadrons of Dakotas at Broadwell employed in taking troops to France and returning as casualty evacuation aircraft.
April 1945, I was posted to Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) and took over as Commanding Officer the Air Command South East Asia Comm. Squadron based at R.A.F Ratmalana. The squadron was large and self contained with its own transport, groundcrew and administration section etc. There were five different types of aircraft on the Squadron some converted to the V.I.P. role such as the two Yorks and two of the Dakotas.
[page break]
(4)
One of the Yorks was for the use of Admiral Lord Lois [inserted] Louis [/inserted] Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander. I was with Mountbatten in July 1945 when he flew to Berlin – Gatow Airport – for the Potsdan [sic] Conference. We were in Berlin for several days and I was able to see for myself the utter devastation the city suffered as a result of the war. I had visited Berlin a number of times before, but overhead.
We returned to Ceylon and shortly afterwards I was with Mountbatten when we flew to Singapore. I watched him accept the Japanese surrender. Shortly afterwards, back in Ceylon, I was allocated a cargo ship to help transfer the Squadron to Singapore. We loaded the ship with the Squadron paraphernalia and it left for Singapore. The aircraft we flew over independently. Our new base was Kalling [sic] Airport.
In April 1946 I was offered a Permanent Commission, however, I discovered that if I accepted, I would probably remain in the Far East for another year or so. I had a young family back in the UK and felt I could not remain away for this extra time. I turned the offer down and ended, I was advised, a promising career. Shortly afterwards, I returned to the UK and out of the R.A.F.
[underlined] PEACE [/underlined]
The next few years were spent farming but finally a decision was made and I rejoined the R.A.F. on a permanent commission. There is a lot to be said for a regular income and holidays. After a short refresher flying and ground examination course, I joined a long range mainly passenger flying squadron. Our routes were varied, but mainly to the Far East and back. In 1956 I was posted to Singapore as personal pilot to the Commander in Chief Far East Air Forces. This time the family came with me and we set up residence close to the town and about three miles from the airfield.
Our aircraft was a four engined Hastings, fully equipped in the V.I.P. role and flown exclusively by myself and crew for the next three years. The aircraft was fitted with plush seats and carpets, bar, galley, conference room which doubled as a dining room and sleeping quarters. Meals were freshly cooked on board and served on proper crockery by the cabin crew – no plastic.
Our area of operations was large and included among others Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and the Western seaboard of America. The aircraft was not used solely by the C. in C. Visiting V.I.P.’s from the UK such as Government Officials attending meetings or on fact finding tours were transferred to us for onward flights. The itinerary usually contained a visit to Hong Kong with a day of rest/shopping built in!
July 1959 was the end of our three year posting. The date also coincided with the Hastings requiring a major servicing in the UK. We made our good-byes and returned home with the aircraft.
The next two and a half years was spent flying the World routes in Brittania aircraft – (Known as the “Whispering Giant”). I was still called upon to fly V.I.P.’s including the Queen and members of the Royal Family.
[page break]
(5)
June 1962 I was posted to the Transport Command Examining Unit, Benson. T.C.E.U. was a small unit, its members known as the “Trappers”, affectionately I am sure! We had no aircraft of our own. Our role was to visit stations at home and abroad, carry out flying tests and ground examinations on the transport crews and award flying categories – “A” exceptional, “B” above average, “C” average qualified passenger flying and “D” to fly freight only. Also we reported on the operational efficiency of the station.
After two years as a “Trapper” I was posted to R.A.F. Lyneham as Officer Commanding the A.T.S. (Air Training Squadron). The Squadron trained and converted crews on to Brittania and Comet aircraft. Each training course was completed with a round World trip. One aircraft was used and crews took turns flying the different sections of the route watched over by the instructor crew.
Towards the end of [inserted] August [/inserted] 19[deleted]68[/deleted][inserted]67[/inserted] I retired and so ended my varied career with the R.A.F.
I would like to pay tribute to the R.A.F. aircraft servicing personnel. I flew twenty two different types of aircraft during my time in the R.A.F. at no time did I experience any defect that could be attributed to faulty servicing. They all do an excellent job.
I have written this article at the instigation of my brother. He thought that Old Juddians would be interested in the experiences of an Old Boy, particularly during war time. Flying home on a “Wing and a Prayer” from an operation in a damaged aircraft has been described in a number of wartime books. It happened to most of us flying at that time. I have described just a few in this article.
This is written solely for the O.J. magazine and not for general publication.
My wife and I now live quietly on the East Sussex coast. – gardening – golf – twice a year we go abroad to enjoy the sunshine and also go on an occasional cruise.
[inserted] Albert Edward Millson
B 18-04-1921
D 30-01-2009 [/inserted]
[underlined] MILLSONS “WAR & PEACE” – ABRIDGED [/underlined]
[underlined] WAR [/underlined]
I joined the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserves at the beginning of 1939. With other V.R.’s I attended at Rochester Airport, Kent, hopefully to learn to fly, however, there were no aircraft at Rochester to train on. There were strong rumours each week that aircraft were on the way but none appeared. Our time was spent at lectures on subjects such as theory of flight, navigation and meteorology.
I was called up two days before war was declared. My orders were to report to the adjutant Marine Court Hastings. Marine Court was a large block of apartments on the seafront taken over by the R.A.F. Two other prospective airmen and myself were allocated an apartment. We waited and waited for a posting to a flying training unit. In the meantime I completed one of the first courses in the Link trainer in Derby. It was then back to Hastings and more waiting. We were told that the reason for the delay was the lack of training aircraft. Finally in April 1940 I was posted to R.A.F. Desford for training.
My flying training was not completed until May 1941 because of interruption by illness. Pilots under training had to pass a final flying test with the Chief Flying Instructor. I duly took my test and thought that I had [deleted] done [/deleted] [inserted] performed [/inserted] reasonably well. We were flying back to the airfield when the C.F.I. told me that I flew like a pregnant cow! I was still trying to work out this comment, when we landed and the C.F.I. departed for the flight office. I had obviously failed. With nothing to lose I started for the flight office with the intention of showing the C.F.I. how hard a cow could kick. I was met half way by my own instructor, he said “Congratulations” I had passed the test!
The R.A.F. leading up to this time was still somewhat of an elite club, however, with the loss of so many of the pre-war officers due to enemy action, the door was opening for new members. Myself, and nine other sergeant pilots were invited to live in the Officers Mess. We wore white armbands and were being watched and assessed as to our suitability for a commission. At the end of a fortnight, there were three of us left. We were obviously gentlemen and socially acceptable. We became officers soon afterwards.
As a young Pilot Officer just nineteen years old, I joined 101 Squadron based at West Raynham. The squadron flew Blenheim aircraft. When I arrived, I could not see any aircraft on the airfield. I reported to the Adjutant who told me that the last of the Squadron crews and aircraft were all missing on a German shipping strike that morning and that I was now the Squadron!
101 was now converting to Wellington bombers. Slowly, new crews and aircraft started to arrive and the Squadron was back in business. We started on mainly night raids on German targets. One daylight operation carried out by the Squadron was to find and bomb the German warships “Gneisnau” [sic] and “Scharnhorst” said to be sailing North up the North Sea. Myself and two of our more experienced crews took off in appalling weather conditions with little hope of being successful. We searched a different area each but made no contact and after over four hours returned to base.
[page break]
(2)
On our night sorties over Germany you had to fly through a roughly fifteen mile corridor, stretching North and South before you entered Germany proper. This corridor was packed with searchlights and ack ack guns. On a cloudless night a searchlight would pick out an aircraft, others would quickly latch on and the aircraft was caught in a circle of blinding light. The heavy flak would then arrive. Once caught in this manner it was very difficult to escape. We saw a number of aircraft shot down as a result.
We made a few operational sorties to Italy, Our route was as direct as possible – Thames estuary – a point south of Switzerland and direct to Turin. Each time we flew over the Thames estuary we were fired on by our own side! This in spite of the fact that the Navy and gun batteries having been warned we would be flying over. Flying over Switzerland was strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, on our first sortie to Italy, we made an error of navigation and flew directly over the country! A wonderful sight, no blackout, everywhere brightly lit up, even the boats on Lake Geneva. “V” for victory was being signalled to us all the way across. We saved time and, more important, fuel by flying across Switzerland. The next day the Swiss made a complaint about an aircraft violating their airspace!
On our second sortie to Italy we had two senior officers as passengers. They wanted to experience an operation sortie. Their first experience was being fired upon by by [sic] our own side over the Thames estuary. They were going to do something about that on our return! We thought it prudent to avoid Switzerland this trip and stayed on track to Turin. The flak over Turin was mild compared with Germany but it impressed our passengers. Returning over France, one of the officers stationed in the aircraft astrodome, reported enemy fighters coming in on the port side. I started evasive action – shortly afterwards “Mac” the rear gunner spoke up “No fighters Captain, there are however, several shooting stars!”
We had a very good ground crew who serviced our aircraft. After each operation, they would patch the holes made by the German flak and change any engine that had been badly hit. After about twenty operations the ground crew were patching the patches. The aircraft was retired to a training role and we received a new one straight from the factory.
During this period 1941-1942 we were suffering heavy losses. A first tour for aircrew was thirty operational sorties. Because of losses and the need to show new crew the “Ropes” I ended up completing forty six operations.
In November 1941, 101 Squadron moved to R.A.F. Bourne [sic]. April 1942, now a Squadron leader, I was posted for a rest period to R.A.F. Moreton in Marsh as a flight commander in the Operational Training Unit. We trained and converted crews to the Wellington bomber. When the crews completed and passed their course they were posted to various Squadrons. This posting was my so called rest period! however, the first of the thousand aircraft bomber raids came up. Training aircraft were required to make up the numbers and I went on the raid with a mainly untrained crew.
[page break]
02/02/2009 09:33 0142730138 M PAGE 03
(3)
[inserted] calculation [/inserted]
In August 1943 I was posted for a second tour of operations. I did a short conversion on to the four engined Halifax, my instructor was Flt. Lt. Fisher, another Old Juddian, and was then posted to 102 Squadron R.A.F. Pocklington. I found the German ack ack and the fighters were still as dangerous and frightening as on my first tour. A second tour was twenty operations, this time I completed my twenty and declared, enough was enough!
Promoted to Wing Commander I spent the next few months as Air 1 and aid to Air Commander J Walker. He was base commander and responsible for three operational stations. In September 1944 I was posted to Transport Command. My time with Bomber Command was now at an end.
Shortly after being promoted Wing Commander, I entered a hotel in York, and there sitting at the bar was the CFI from my training days. I thought, at last, I could sort out his comment that I flew like a pregnant cow, it still rankled a little. However, he seemed pleased to see me and wanted to know all about operational flying. He had applied several times for a posting to an operational squadron but had been turned down. This was understandable because during this period flying instructors were doing a far too important job to be risked on operational flying. After a few beers we parted as friends. In the end I didn’t bring up the subject of my flying ability. After all, I now outranked him and he did call me “Sir”.
NOTE 1. A most important event took place in September 1941. I married Jean, the nurse who looked after me when I was sick early in the War. From that time on I lived off the base wherever we were posted. We lived in hotels or rented accommodation. At that time you were not officially recognised as being married until you were twenty five years old. We therefore did not enjoy any of the married officers perks. However, we managed.
NOTE 2. On both my tours of operations I was very lucky in having excellent crew members. In particular I must mention my rear gunner “Mac” Mackay an Australian. He was with me, guarding my back, on both my first and second tour of operations. He knocked years off his age in order to join the R.A.F. but was actually nearly twice my age. A deadly shot with his guns, he saved us many times from German fighters.
September 1944 to November 1944 I was one of three Operation Controllers on a shift system at 46 Group Headquarters Transport Command and then to R.A.F. Broadwell as O.C. Operations and flying. There were two squadrons of Dakotas at Broadwell employed in taking troops to France and returning as casualty evacuation aircraft.
April 1945, I was posted to Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) and took over as Commanding Officer the Air Command South East Asia Comm. Squadron based at R.A.F Ratmalana. The squadron was large and self contained with its own transport, groundcrew and administration section etc. There were five different types of aircraft on the Squadron some converted to the V.I.P. role such as the two Yorks and two of the Dakotas.
[page break]
(4)
One of the Yorks was for the use of Admiral Lord Lois [inserted] Louis [/inserted] Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander. I was with Mountbatten in July 1945 when he flew to Berlin – Gatow Airport – for the Potsdan [sic] Conference. We were in Berlin for several days and I was able to see for myself the utter devastation the city suffered as a result of the war. I had visited Berlin a number of times before, but overhead.
We returned to Ceylon and shortly afterwards I was with Mountbatten when we flew to Singapore. I watched him accept the Japanese surrender. Shortly afterwards, back in Ceylon, I was allocated a cargo ship to help transfer the Squadron to Singapore. We loaded the ship with the Squadron paraphernalia and it left for Singapore. The aircraft we flew over independently. Our new base was Kalling [sic] Airport.
In April 1946 I was offered a Permanent Commission, however, I discovered that if I accepted, I would probably remain in the Far East for another year or so. I had a young family back in the UK and felt I could not remain away for this extra time. I turned the offer down and ended, I was advised, a promising career. Shortly afterwards, I returned to the UK and out of the R.A.F.
[underlined] PEACE [/underlined]
The next few years were spent farming but finally a decision was made and I rejoined the R.A.F. on a permanent commission. There is a lot to be said for a regular income and holidays. After a short refresher flying and ground examination course, I joined a long range mainly passenger flying squadron. Our routes were varied, but mainly to the Far East and back. In 1956 I was posted to Singapore as personal pilot to the Commander in Chief Far East Air Forces. This time the family came with me and we set up residence close to the town and about three miles from the airfield.
Our aircraft was a four engined Hastings, fully equipped in the V.I.P. role and flown exclusively by myself and crew for the next three years. The aircraft was fitted with plush seats and carpets, bar, galley, conference room which doubled as a dining room and sleeping quarters. Meals were freshly cooked on board and served on proper crockery by the cabin crew – no plastic.
Our area of operations was large and included among others Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and the Western seaboard of America. The aircraft was not used solely by the C. in C. Visiting V.I.P.’s from the UK such as Government Officials attending meetings or on fact finding tours were transferred to us for onward flights. The itinerary usually contained a visit to Hong Kong with a day of rest/shopping built in!
July 1959 was the end of our three year posting. The date also coincided with the Hastings requiring a major servicing in the UK. We made our good-byes and returned home with the aircraft.
The next two and a half years was spent flying the World routes in Brittania aircraft – (Known as the “Whispering Giant”). I was still called upon to fly V.I.P.’s including the Queen and members of the Royal Family.
[page break]
(5)
June 1962 I was posted to the Transport Command Examining Unit, Benson. T.C.E.U. was a small unit, its members known as the “Trappers”, affectionately I am sure! We had no aircraft of our own. Our role was to visit stations at home and abroad, carry out flying tests and ground examinations on the transport crews and award flying categories – “A” exceptional, “B” above average, “C” average qualified passenger flying and “D” to fly freight only. Also we reported on the operational efficiency of the station.
After two years as a “Trapper” I was posted to R.A.F. Lyneham as Officer Commanding the A.T.S. (Air Training Squadron). The Squadron trained and converted crews on to Brittania and Comet aircraft. Each training course was completed with a round World trip. One aircraft was used and crews took turns flying the different sections of the route watched over by the instructor crew.
Towards the end of [inserted] August [/inserted] 19[deleted]68[/deleted][inserted]67[/inserted] I retired and so ended my varied career with the R.A.F.
I would like to pay tribute to the R.A.F. aircraft servicing personnel. I flew twenty two different types of aircraft during my time in the R.A.F. at no time did I experience any defect that could be attributed to faulty servicing. They all do an excellent job.
I have written this article at the instigation of my brother. He thought that Old Juddians would be interested in the experiences of an Old Boy, particularly during war time. Flying home on a “Wing and a Prayer” from an operation in a damaged aircraft has been described in a number of wartime books. It happened to most of us flying at that time. I have described just a few in this article.
This is written solely for the O.J. magazine and not for general publication.
My wife and I now live quietly on the East Sussex coast. – gardening – golf – twice a year we go abroad to enjoy the sunshine and also go on an occasional cruise.
[inserted] Albert Edward Millson
B 18-04-1921
D 30-01-2009 [/inserted]
Collection
Citation
Albert Millson, “Millson's "War & Peace" Abridged,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed March 10, 2026, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/50790.