Bill had arrived
at a skilled and battle hardened squadron. But he had much to offer. Charles
Pallisser, who had arrived at North Weald a few days before Bill, was aware of
Bill’s DFC and his previous success at shooting down enemy aircraft. Charles thought
Bill was a ‘damn nice lad’ and, although the two did not meet often, they got
on well together. One of their main conversational topics was Australia and
Charles learned a lot about Australia from Bill.
Tuesday 18 September 2012
19 September 1940. Bill Millington
On 19 September
1940, Bill Millington was posted from 79 Squadron to 249 Squadron at North
Weald. 249 had been very busy recently and Bill was one of two replacement
pilots to arrive about this time. Three days earlier, the squadron had received
a signals from the Air Ministry congratulating them on their ‘magnificent
fighting’ of 15 September. They also received another from Air Marshal Cyril Newall,
Chief of the Air Staff, who lauded their success as ‘an outstanding example of
the hard fighting which is frustrating the enemy’s attack. Keep it up’.
Tom Neil recalled that Bill was ‘a small, fair
chap with a tiny moustache. An Australian, apparently, though he did not look
or sound like one. Pretty experienced, too, with a DFC. Seemed very nice’. Tom
also recalled that Bill was ‘keen on animals and I believe it was
he who introduced Pipsqueak, the dog, and Wilfred, the duck, to the squadron.
However, I can’t be sure of that, although photographs taken at the time rather
suggest they could have been, as he was obviously very fond of animals’.
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It's good to see a picture on which " Bill " Millington is standing with Thomas Francis " Ginger " Neil. " Ginger " is still " Fit and Well " in United Kingdom.
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