Mervyn Jack Mills

Born 19 Feb 1923 - Died 19 Nov 1942

Service number: NZ414321 AWMM
WWII 414321 AWMM
Also known as: Boy AWMM
Armed force / branch: Air Force AWMM
Last rank: Flying Officer (Pilot Officer)/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 132 Squadron AWMM
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Portrait, Flying Officer Mervyn Jack Mills RNZAF 414321 - This image may be subject to copyright

Show empty fields Hide sources

Biographical information

Son of George William Alfred Worthy Mills and Gwendoline Eleanor Mills of Parnell, Auckland.

Mervyn Jack Mills was born at Auckland on 19 February 1923. He had two sisters. He received his primary education at Te Kuiti Primary School (1928 - 1931 approximately) and Parnell Primary School (1932-1934) and his secondary education (studying electrical engineering) at the Seddon Memorial Technical College (1935-1936). His hobbies were shooting and swimming.

At the time he enlisted for war service with the RNZAF in June 1940, he was employed as a Warehouseman by J Wiseman and Sons Ltd, Auckland. Elsewhere in his service record his trade is described as a saddlery salesman.

Mills was enlisted for aircrew training on 27 July 1941 at the Ground Training School, Levin, and was posted on 8 September to No 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai, to commence his flying training. On 17 November 1941 he embarked for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

He was posted to No 6 Service Flying Training School in Dunnville, Ontario, shortly after his arrival in Canada. It was while he was stationed there on 27 March 1942 that he was awarded his flying badge and promoted to Sergeant. This was superseded by his being commissioned as a pilot officer with effect from the same date. On 1 October 1942, while in Wales, he was promoted to flying officer. Meanwhile, on 5 April 1942, he proceeded to No 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

Having arrived in England in mid May 1942, Mills was held at No 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, until posted on 3 July 1942 to No 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Ternhill, Shropshire. From here he was posted on 22 July 1942 to No 53 Operational Training Unit, first at Landlow, and later to Rhoose, both in Glamorganshire, Wales. With his unit he completed his training on Spitfire fighter aircraft prior to being posted on 14 October 1942 to No 132 Squadron, Martlesham, Suffolk, to commence operational flying.

As the pilot of a Spitfire fighter he engaged in sixteen operational flights, mostly convoy patrols but including one low level attack against an enemy objective and one enemy aircraft interception flight.

Mills was the pilot of a Spitfire fighter which failed to return to its base and he was classified as missing. His death was officially presumed to have occurred on 19 November 1942 as a result of air operations. At the time of his death he had completed 273 flying hours as a pilot.

Attended Seddon Memorial Technical College (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845613)) AWMM

Sources

External links: Dunnville Airport Museum, Otanrio, Canada
http://www.dunnvilleairport.com/museum.php
Further Reference
Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1076891
Sources Used
RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ma - McW. Archives New Zealand (R17845613)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845613
Sources Used
References: Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
Information kindly provided by family
Correspondence with family
Information kindly provided by family
Transcripts of his letters home to his family are held on file in the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
This record is a work in progress and was partially compiled from the “Database of New Zealand Airmen who took part in Advanced Air Training in Canada during WW2”. Researched by Ivan and Lorna Lindsey of Tauranga. N.Z. 2003 – 2012. Reproduced with permission.
RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ma - McW. Archives New Zealand (R17845613) - Former archives reference: AIR118
List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [Missing - But Presumed Dead on Lapse of Time - Officers, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845743)
Please note that the 11 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions.
List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762).
Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Mervyn Jack Mills