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RAF 74354 Squadron Leader George Ewart MILNES M.I.D.
PARENTS Mr and Mrs E. Milnes of Christchurch.

George Milnes was born at Christchurch on the 7th November 1913. He received his secondary education at the St. Andrew's College, Christchurch, afterwards attending Otago University, where he was successful in graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree. His principal sports was swiming, in which he established three school records. He also represented his College in football. Early in 1937 he proceeded to England to do post graduate work in Science, joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1938.

Squadron Leader Milnes commenced his flying training with the University of London Air Squadron in October 1938 and trained on Avro Tutor and later Hawker Hind aircraft. By July, 1939 he had completed over 100 hours flying and was classed as an exceptional pilot. He was called up shortly after the outbreak of war and commenced, on the 12th October, 1939 in the rank of Pilot Officer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. After a few days preliminary training at No. 1 Initial Training Wing, London, he was posted to the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire and trained on Oxford aircraft. Here on the 9th Apri, 1940 he was awarded the Flying Badge. On the 13th of the month he proceeded to No. 15 Operational Training Unit, Harwell, Berkshire and converted to Wellington bomber aircraft, before posting, on the 14th June, 1940, to No. 99 Squadron, Newmarket, Suffolk. From this base as pilot of Wellington bomber aircraft he took part in twenty operational flights, the targets including marshalling yards at Hamm (2), the Black Forest, an aerodrome and factory at Bremen; the docks at Wilhelmshaven; oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund; Homberg; the docks at Hamburg; Lunen Wesel; Frankfurt; Karlsruhe; Emden; and oil factory at Hamm, all in Germany; and Schipol Aerodrome in Holland. This completed his first tour of operations and on the 14th September he was posted to the Reserve Flight of No. 214 Squadron at Stradishall, Suffolk. On the 29th September, 1940 he was promoted to Flying Officer.

Late in September he proceeded as Captain of Wellington bomber aircraft to the Middle East by way of Malta, arriving at Cairo