Name
Gerald Desmond Mills
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/05/1917
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Major
Royal Flying Corps and Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
No. 19 Squadron
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Mentioned in Despatches
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOULLENS COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION NO.1
IV.A.2.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Haileybury College Cloister Wall Memorial, Hertford Heath, Benington War Memorial, St Peter’s Church Roll of Honour, Benington
Pre War
Desmond was the youngest son of Canon Mills of Benington Rectory. He was educated at Haileybury College and later at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Notts & Derbys Regiment in October 1910.
His elder brother, 2/Lt. G.E.Mills had been killed in action with the 1st Battalion of the Notts. & Derbys Regiment at Moedwil on the 30th September 1901 during the Boer war.
Gerald served for over three years in India and returned to the UK in March 1914 to join the Royal Flying Corps.
Wartime Service
He was commissioned into the Notts & Derbys Regiment in October 1910 and served for over three years in India returning to the UK in March 1914 to join the Royal Flying Corps.
On the 7th April 1915 he went to France as a Flight Commander with No.7 Squadron. He was flying an RE5 (737) on 28th April 1915 with Lt Murray as observer, when he was involved in combat with an LVG.
On 21st July 1915 he was flying RE 5 (2458) with 2Lt R C McPherson as observer when he fought an unidentified enemy aircraft. On 18th September 1915, he was flying RE5 (2457) with 2Lt Layton as observer when he was attacked by a Fokker. On 26th September 1915, again in 2457 with 2Lt Layton, Captain Mills had a fight with an Albatross, two miles south of Lille. He returned as an instructor at Central Flying School in January 1916 and was gazetted as a Squadron Commander in April of that year. On 16th November 1916, flying a single seat Bristol Scout, Captain Mills attacked an Albatross over the Forest d'Houthulst. He fired one round from his Lewis gun before it jammed. Being unable to clear his weapon, he was forced to break off the combat. After being appointed to the Air Board office in March 1917 he applied to return to active service and he returned to France on the 15th May 1917 with No. 19 Squadron based at Vert Galand. Four days after he arrived in France Gerald was killed in an accident whilst flying a Spad S7 (A6749). He is buried at Doullens Cemetery, France.
The Hertfordshire Express reports on the 2nd of June 1917:
"Major Gerald Desmond Mills, R.F.C., youngest son of the Rev. Canon Mills, rector of Bennington, and brother of the Rev. W. E. Mills, rector of Walkern, was, as announced in the Express last week, killed while flying in France. Major Mills had chosen a military career, and was home on leave from his regiment in India when war broke out. He applied for a second period of active service on the staff of the Air Board in London. He had been mentioned in dispatches."
Additional Information
www.stevenageatwar.com
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Derry Warners
Paul Johnson, Adrian Pitts, Malcolm Lennox, Karen Smith - Acting Director of External Relations www.haileybury.com/honour
