MILLER, William George Allen
| Service Number: | 423834 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 July 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Croydon, New South Wales, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Ashfield, Ashfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk - NSW Government Railways |
| Died: | Accidental, Sigiriya Ceylon, 15 June 1944, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Liveramentu Cemetery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flying Officer, 423834 | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 423834 | |
| Date unknown: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 423834 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Anthony Vine
Flying Officer William (Bill) George Allen Miller 423834 RAAF
Bill Miller was born in Croydon NSW in May 1921 the son of William and Martha Miller of Ashfield NSW. He was the elder of two children born to the couple, he had previously served as a Lieutenant in an Army Militia (Reserve) Cavalry unit. At the time he enlisted in July 1942 he was employed as a clerk with the NSW Government Railways.
After initial training at Bradfield Park in Sydney, Bill completed elementary flying training at Number 8 EFTS at Narrandra NSW, before embarking for Canada in February 1943, where he obtained his Wings at 7 SFTS Fort McLeod in Alberta. He clearly excelled on course as he was commissioned immediately after he graduated and selected to undertake conversion training to the B24 Liberator at Number 111 OTU at Nassau in the Bahamas.
In early 1944 Bill arrived in India initially posting to 159 Squadron RAF based at RAF Digri in Bengal. 159 Squadron operated the B24 Liberator and during its service in India flew Minelaying, Bombing and reconnaissance missions over Burma Makaya and Indo China.
On the 15th of June 1944 Bill Miller was the second pilot of Liberator EV837 of 160 Squadron RAF captained by Warrant Officer RD Stow RAF, which took off from RAF Sigiriya in central Ceylon at night on an operational mission. The aircraft took off normally and commenced a right circuit of the airstrip before diving into the ground, killing all eight members of the crew. The board of Inquiry into the crash identified that WO Stow, despite being a qualified B24 Captain had very little night flying experience, including only six hours on the Liberator, and the probable cause of the crash was he lost spatial awareness.
Bill Miller and the crew are buried in the Liveramenthu CWGC Cemetery in Colombo Sri Lanka.
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