Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

Denis "Dusty" Miller DSO DFC (12 November 1918 – 24 March 2009) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...

and

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

pilot.

Early life

Miller was born in 1918 in New Zealand and educated at

Auckland Grammar School Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

Military career

Miller travelled to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1941, where he served in

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...

. His first posting was to

No. 50 Squadron RAF No. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in ...

, where he flew Hampdens. He then moved to No. 25 Operational Training Unit RAF to instruct on

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...

Later life and death

At the end of World War II, Miller joined British Overseas Airways Corporation. He flew a variety of aircraft with BOAC for over 28 years.

Awards and decorations

On 23 June 1942, the then Acting

Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

Miller was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross ''in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy''. On 12 May 1944, the then Acting Squadron Leader Miller was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

''in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy''. The details were gazetted on 9 May 1944 as follows:

Acting Squadron Leader Dennis MILLER, DFC (NZ402207), Royal New Zealand Air Force, No 49 Squadron
Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, this officer has completed very many sorties, including five attacks on Berlin and three against Hanover. Throughout he has displayed a high degree of skill, courage and resolution, qualities which have earned him much success. In April 1944, he piloted an aircraft detailed for a minelaying mission. In spite of opposing fire from armed ships and from the shore batteries, Squadron Leader Miller executed his task with great precision and afterwards completed the long flight home safely. His example has been worthy of emulation.

Personal life

He was married to Margery, who died in 2007. He has two children; a daughter, by whom he is survived and a son, who became a

Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...

pilot with

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...

, who predeceased him.

References

External links

Obituary at Times.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Denis 1918 births 2009 deaths People educated at Auckland Grammar School New Zealand World War II pilots New Zealand World War II bomber pilots Commercial aviators