Ralph Millns patiently bided his time on 18-Squadron, waiting for his old Pilot, Tom ‘Jeff’ Jefferson, to be discharged from the Officers’ Convalescent Home, in Torquay. The Solid friendship, not to mention Tom’s phenomenal run of Luck, was well worth Renewal.
Unfortunately, the Planners had other ideas, & Ralph Departed 18-Squadron in July 1942, just 3-months prior to Tom’s Discharge. It was to be a cruel stroke of Fate. Tom would survive the War as a Mosquito Pilot on 105-Squadron; Ralph’s Life would end in February 1943 as a Mosquito Navigator on this Famous Squadron.
Born in Holborn on 18th July 1920, Ralph took up Employment on leaving School as a Local Government Clerk. Not waiting to be called up for the Inevitable Hostilities, he Enlisted in the RAFVR in August 1939, for a nominal 5-yrs. After Serving at No.4-Initial Training Wing, Bexhill on Sea & Paignton & at a Navigation School, Ralph commenced the Course at No.10-Bombing & Gunnery School, Warmwell in Dorset on 1st July 1940. This was definitely the last Course to be held at the Dorset Location before it became too Hot for Training Purposes, when it was turned over to Fighters for the impending Battle of Britain.
On 27th July, Ralph commenced his Blenheim Conversion at No.17-OTU Upwood. This was to be his home for 11-months, thanks to the Insistence of the CO, Sqn Ldr ‘Tom’ Webster, that his OTU Crews should be properly Trained before being Launched into Operations.
By the end of June 1941, Flt Sgt Ralph Millns & his Crew were Members of No.18 Squadron, Based at Oulton, in Norfolk. The New CO arrived 3-days later. The gentle Personality & Style of Leadership of Wg Cdr ‘Tim’ Partridge must have been more than acceptable to similarly-minded Ralph. For him, the shock of Witnessing the Death of his popular Boss must have been Horrific. Scotty Scotney can still recall the discussion in the Cockpit between Tom & Ralph after Tim Partridge had Rolled Over & Crashed in Flames into the Noordsingel Canal during the Rotterdam Raid.
They made a Crash-landing in the Ploughed Field on 5th August Left Ralph injured, but he was back on Operations under Channel Stop just 11-days later. As with his other 2-Crew Members, he became a Film Star when Newsreel footage was Shot of the Squadron being Briefed for & Embarking on a typical Blenheim Strike, circa September 1941. During the Briefing, the Crew can be clearly recognised to the right of the Picture: Ralph has Tom sitting on his left & Scotty on his right. There are further recognisable Shots of the Crew climbing aboard their Blenheim Aircraft: F for Freddie.
Ralph’s reward for surviving the adrenalin-stirring Malta Detachment that followed was an Appointment to a Commission in January 1942. Deprived of his Pilot, Tom, whose bullet Knee injury would ground him for several months, Ralph continued to serve on the 18-Squadron Detachment until its Disbandment in Egypt in March and the later Reconstitution of the Squadron in the UK. On 7th July, it was time to move on & Ralph was posted to 139- Squadron, Horsham St Faith, which had itself only just reformed after its absorption in the Far East by 62-Squadron. Now equipped with Blenheim Mk Vs (Bisleys), the Squadron sensibly declined to use them Operationally; instead, they borrowed some Mosquitoes from co-located 105-Squadron for the task in hand, before getting their own Allocation in September.]
Blenheim Mk.V/Bisley Mk.I-High-altitude Bomber, powered by 2-Bristol Mercury XV or XXV Radial Piston Engines. Company designation Type 160
In the meantime, Ralph had been Despatched to RAF Manby within 4-days of his arrival on 139-Squadron, to complete No.41 Bombing Leaders Course. By the end of September, both Ralph’s 139-Squadron & 105-Squadron had moved to nearby RAF Marham, Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
In mid-October, Ralph was promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant. This must have been the most exhilarating time of his career: high-speed, low-level pinpoint accuracy in an Mosquito Aircraft that could give Enemy Fighters a good run for their money, provided that both Engines were Operating satisfactorily. The life expectancy on Mosquitoes was far, far greater than that on Blenheims; but the new role brought increased demands in the art of Formation Flying. Paradoxically, the most difficult position of all is that of the Leader, even though his numbers 2 & 3 may be sweating buckets to maintain their respective positions. On the Leader rests the awesome responsibility of ensuring that all Formation changes are performed smoothly enough to be followed with ease by his Wingmen. Ralph’s untimely death would bear Witness to this Fact.
In February 1943, Ralph was posted to 105-Squadron, to become the CO’s Navigator. Wing Commander G P Longfield had replaced Wg Cdr Hughie Edwards VC. When Tim Partridge took Hughie Edwards‘s place on the Rotterdam, Raid on 16th July 1941, he had Survived as a Squadron Commander for just a fortnight. When Geoffrey Longfield replaced Hughie Edwards, History would repeat itself.
On 26th February 1943, the Naval Stores at Rennes were Attacked by 20-Mosquitoes from the Marham-based Squadrons, 105 & 139. Geoffrey Longfield & Ralph Millns were Leading the 10-Mosquitoes from 105-Squadron on the ‘Low-Level Element’ of the Attack. Disaster struck. When Wg Cdr Longfield realised that he was bearing down on a Gun Emplacement he turned sharply to avoid it – a reaction which our Tornado crews in the Gulf War would fully understand. Regrettably, this violent Manoeuvre resulted in his Colliding with his No.2, Crewed by Flg Off S G Kimmel RCAF & Flg Off H N Kirkland RCAF. The CO’s Aircraft, Mosquito Mk IV DZ 365, was Sliced in 2 and was seen to Crash Out of Control. The other Aircraft – DZ 413 – was last seen to be losing height after the Collision & had a Glycol Leak but was apparently under Control.
By chance, one of my fellow Pilots on the MAFF Fleet of FR Aviation Ltd has a Cottage near Rennes. After discussing the Crash with Roger Dickinson, he immediately offered to visit Rennes Eastern Communal Cemetery, take photographs & glean any other information available. As good as his word, he traced the Graves of Wg Cdr Longfield, Flt Lt Millns & Flg Off Kirkland. He rang me from Rennes: he had searched the entire Cemetery for the 4th Grave, but could find no trace of Fg Off Kimmel’s earthly remains. (Fg Off Spencer Griffith Kimmel RCAF also died on 26th February 1943, but is buried in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, 9 miles SSE of Caen). On Ralph’s Grave, Roger noted, was the following poignant Inscription:
GOD TOOK OUR SON
BUT HE WILL LINK
THE BROKEN CHAIN
MOTHER AND DAD
How did Ralph’s WOp/AG on Blenheims remember him? Scotty informs me:
‘Quiet Chap he was. No Vices, as far as I could see: I don’t think he went carousing like some of us (off to the “Samson & Hercules” etc). He led a pretty quiet, sort of responsible life: he wasn’t looked down on because of it, as he was such a nice Chap. He wasn’t Pompous or setting himself up as a model of virtue: you wouldn’t last a doddle doing that. A Good Navigator: after all, he Navigated us out to Malta, which was no mean feat. You only have to miss…’
After Interviewing Ralph’s former Pilot, Tom Jefferson, I discovered just how good a Navigator he was. Tom’s Biography makes it abundantly clear that Ralph Millns was one of the finest Navigators of WW2.
Wing Commander T G 'Jeff' Jefferson, DSO AFC AE 