William James Millen RAF - OC 103 Squadron – 1938 – 04134/
William Millen ( pictured above ) was OC 103 Squadron from Feb to Aug 1938 whilst the Squadron were based at RAF Usworth in County Durham. The information I have been able to gather is quite sparse sadly and I will welcome further info to fill in the gaps.
He must have enlisted in the RAF in the early 1920s and was promoted from F/O to F/L 1st January 1926.
On the 2nd September 1929 Millen was posted to 26 Squadron, an Army Co-operation Squadron based at Catterick, North Yorkshire where he must have flown the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas with which they were equipped at that time. The Atlas was developed into a useful adaptable machine and sold quite well abroad.
On the 2nd January 1936 he was posted to the North Thoresby Training and Armament Camp situated Lincolnshire. This probably refers to nearby North Cotes
Having been promoted to S/L Millen joined 103 Squadron as OC at RAF Usworth in 1938 where the top photo was taken. After six months he left for another posting.
He turns up again at the start of WW2 as Wing Commander Millen posted as OC to command 271 Squadron RAF on the 28th March 1940. On the 20th April 1940 he arrived at RAF Tern Hill for a conversion course and then left 271 Squadron on the 1st May 1940 being replaced by S/L B V Robinson.
I cannot find anything more about Millen's wartime career but he retired from the RAF post war 1946 with the rank of Wing Commander. He seems to have established some involvement with the Territorial Army as late as 1952.
Complied by David Fell with photo from my archive
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