Denis Crowley-Milling
| Sir Denis Crowley-Milling | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Crow |
| Born |
22 March 1919 St. Asaph, Wales |
| Died | 1 December 1996 (aged 77) Westminster, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1937–1975 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands held |
No. 46 Group (1973) No. 38 Group (1970–72) RAF Hong Kong (1964–66) RAF Leconfield (1962–64) No. 6 Squadron (1947–50) No. 121 Wing (1943) No. 181 Squadron (1942–43) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Air Efficiency Award |
| Other work | Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod |
Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling KCB, CBE, DSO, DFC & Bar, AE (22 March 1919 – 1 December 1996) was a Second World War fighter pilot and later an air officer in the Royal Air Force.
Originally a Rolls-Royce apprentice, he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was mobilised in 1937 as a trainee pilot and was posted to No. 615 Squadron as a sergeant pilot. Originally flying the Gloster Gladiator biplane, the squadron converted to the new Hawker Hurricane monoplane fighter. In April 1940 after operational training, he was commissioned in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a pilot officer and posted back to No. 615 Squadron.
Using his experience at Rolls-Royce when a number of squadron aircraft became separated from their groundcrew in France, he showed the other pilots how to service the aircraft and they departed just before the advancing German tanks arrived.
In June 1940 he was posted to No. 242 Squadron and flew during the Battle of Britain, one of The Few. The squadron moved to RAF Coltishall and Crowley-Milling flew as No. 2 to the new commanding officer Douglas Bader.
On 13 June 1941 he became a flight commander on No. 610 Squadron. On 21 August 1941 he was shot down over France while escorting Stirling bombers on a raid to Lille, but with the help of the French Resistance he evaded capture. He became ill with paratyphoid in Spain and was repatriated back to Britain where he re-joined his squadron.
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