OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24482, 3 February 1945, Page 8

OBITUARY

♦ ■ FLYING OFFICER F. R. MILEER After 12 years’ service as sC permanent member of the Royal Air Force, Flying Officer Frank Reid Miller, of Christchurch, was killed on active service recently. He left New Zealand When he was 15 years of age to join the Air Force after passing the entrance examination when a pupil of the West Christchurch High School. His parents- are Mr. and Mrs G. G. Miller, of Somerfleld street, GhfistcWprch., Flying Officer Miller, who was a keen swimmer at school, first went to the Royal ' Air Force. technical school at Halton, England, and took the engineering course. While there, he made a tour with other Halton and Cranwell students through France, Holland, and Belgium, territory over which he flew in the days of war. After leaving Halton, he went through the ‘ bombing, gunnery and flying course at Tangmer aerodrome, and was then posted to the flying-boat base at Singapore. In both flying-boats and bombers, he made extensive flights over Malay and Burma and later qualified as a navigator. When war broke out, he was-im-mediately drafted to Egypt and took part in actions against the Italians. After recovering from wounds received in action, he superintended the overhaul of many Sunderland flying-boats used on Mediterranean routes, and was then to Rhodesia, where for two years he was instructing heavy bomber crews. His next transfer was to England, where he was posted to the Second Tactical Force. Although his application for a transfer to the Royal New Zealand Air Force had been approved, he was still a member of the Royal Air Force at the time of his death.

When a sergeant in Egypt in 1941 he married Sister May Chamberlain, who served for four years at the New Zealand General Hospital, at Helwah. Mrs Miller is at present living with her baby son at Harrogate, England, but intends returning to New Zealand soon.