George Mills (RAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir George Holroyd Mills, GCB
, DFC
, RAF
(26 March 1902 – 14 April 1971) was a senior Royal Air Force
commander. After his retirement from the RAF, Mills served as Black Rod
in the Houses of Parliament
until 1970. He was also a trustee of the Imperial War Museum
.
flying DH 9As with No. 8 Squadron. He transferred to No. 100 Squadron
in 1927 flying Hawker Horsley
aircraft. He attended the RAF Staff College in 1935.
He served in the Second World War taking up command of No. 115 Squadron
in late 1939 and then joining the Air Staff at Headquarters Bomber Command
before becoming Station Commander at RAF Watton
. He was appointed Director of Policy (General) at the Air Ministry
in September 1943 and Air Officer Commanding Balkan Air Force
in February 1945.
After the War he was appointed Director of Plans at the Air Ministry in 1946, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
in 1949 and Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Malaya in 1952. He went on to be Air Officer Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command
in April 1953, Commander Allied Air Force Central Europe in January 1956 and Chairman of the NATO Standing Group in Washington D. C. before retiring in September 1962.
In retirement he served as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
in the Houses of Parliament
.
His sons are Derek Mills (RAF officer and Spitfire pilot) Nigel Mills (RAF officer)
and daughter Virginie Mills.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir George Holroyd Mills, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(26 March 1902 – 14 April 1971) was a senior Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
commander. After his retirement from the RAF, Mills served as Black Rod
Black Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
in the Houses of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
until 1970. He was also a trustee of the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
.
RAF career
Mills joined the RAF College at Cranwell as a cadet in 1920 and became one of the earliest graduates of the newly formed College. After graduating he spent a short time at the RAF Depot. Mills was then posted to MesopotamiaMesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
flying DH 9As with No. 8 Squadron. He transferred to No. 100 Squadron
No. 100 Squadron RAF
No. 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, UK, and operates the Hawker-Siddeley Hawk.-World War I:No. 100 was established on 23 February 1917 at Hingham in Norfolk as the Royal Flying Corps' first squadron formed specifically as a night bombing unit and...
in 1927 flying Hawker Horsley
Hawker Horsley
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Jarrett, Philip. "By Day and By Night: Hawker Horsley part 1". Aeroplane Monthly, Volume 21 No 10, Issue 246, October 1993. pp. 32–40....
aircraft. He attended the RAF Staff College in 1935.
He served in the Second World War taking up command of No. 115 Squadron
No. 115 Squadron RAF
No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit...
in late 1939 and then joining the Air Staff at Headquarters Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
before becoming Station Commander at RAF Watton
RAF Watton
Royal Air Force Station Watton is a former military airfield in Norfolk, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of East Dereham....
. He was appointed Director of Policy (General) at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in September 1943 and Air Officer Commanding Balkan Air Force
Balkan Air Force
The Balkan Air Force was a late-World War II Allied air formation.-History:The formation was based at Bari in Italy, and activated on 7 June 1944 from AHQ 'G' Force to simplify command arrangements for the air support of Special Operations Executive-operations in the Balkans, i.e. across the...
in February 1945.
After the War he was appointed Director of Plans at the Air Ministry in 1946, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
in 1949 and Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Malaya in 1952. He went on to be Air Officer Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
in April 1953, Commander Allied Air Force Central Europe in January 1956 and Chairman of the NATO Standing Group in Washington D. C. before retiring in September 1962.
In retirement he served as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
Black Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
in the Houses of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
His sons are Derek Mills (RAF officer and Spitfire pilot) Nigel Mills (RAF officer)
Nigel Mills (RAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir Nigel Holroyd Mills KBE QHP FRCGP FRCP was a British military doctor, Surgeon General, 1990–1991, and Director General Medical Services , 1987–1991....
and daughter Virginie Mills.
Honours and awards
- Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
- 31 May 1940 - Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)Order of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
- 14 June 1945 - Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)Order of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
- 1 January 1954 - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)Order of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
- 1 January 1959