Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

Sir George Holroyd Mills, (26 March 1902 – 14 April 1971) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. After his retirement from the RAF, Mills served as

Black Rod Black Rod (officially known as the Lady Usher of the Black Rod or, if male, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod) is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliam ...

in the Houses of Parliament until 1970. He was also a trustee of the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

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.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir George Mills
/ref> After graduating he spent a short time at the RAF Depot. Mills was then posted to Mesopotamia flying DH 9As with No. 8 Squadron. He transferred to No. 100 Squadron in 1927 flying

Hawker Horsley The Hawker Horsley was a British single-engined biplane bomber of the 1920s. It was the last all-wooden aircraft built by Hawker Aircraft, and served as a medium day bomber and torpedo bomber with Britain's Royal Air Force between 1926 and 1935 ...

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 Forces Central Europe in January 1956 and Chairman of the British Joint Services Mission to Washington, D.C. and UK Representative on the NATO Standing Group in July 1959. He retired from the Royal Air Force on 18 September 1962. In retirement he served as

Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod Black Rod (officially known as the Lady Usher of the Black Rod or, if male, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod) is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliam ...

in the Houses of Parliament. His children included Air Marshal Sir Nigel Mills.

Honours and awards

* Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) – 31 May 1940 *

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

(CB) – 14 June 1945 * Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) – 1 January 1954 *

Knight Grand Cross of the 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 medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...

(GCB) – 1 January 1959

References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, George Holroyd 1902 births 1971 deaths People from Dartford Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force air marshals Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Ushers of the Black Rod British air attachés Military personnel from Kent