270

-2- (centre aligned)
On the 4th August he embarked for the West Coast of Africa on posting to Ferry Pool, Takoradi, Gold Coast, where he reported on the 24th August. Here, his duties required the delivery of aircraft to and from the Middle East Theatre of war. The route followed crossed Equatorial Africa until the Nile and was reached when the aircraft turned north and followed the Nile towards the Mediterranean. While with this unit on the 3rd September 1940 he received his promotion to flying officer and on the 3rd September 1941 he was gazetted as Flight Lieutenant. Early in 1942, Flight Lieutenant Milne was taken ill and transferred back to the Home Establishment. On his arrival in England he was granted two weeks sick leave on the expiry of which he was posted on the 7th April 1942 to No. 3 Radio School, Prestwick, Ayrshire, for duty as a staff pilot. After this, on the 31st May he was posted to No. 62 Operational Training Unit, Usworth, County Durham, for similar duties until posted on the 1st September to No. 21 Operational Training Unit, Moreton-on-Marsh, Gloucestershire, as a supernumerary flying instructor. Later in Septemebr he attended a short instrument flying course with No. 1501 Beam Approach Training Flight, Abingdon, Berkshire, at the conclusion of which he was posted to No. 23 Operational Training Unit, Pershore, Worcestershire, for further operational training prior to being posted on the 11th November 10 No. 196 Squadron, first at Driffield, and later at Leconfield, both in Yorkshire. Commencing operational flying with this squadron he took part in four operational flights comprising bombing attacks on Genoa in Italy, Cologne, Germany, and two attacks on Lorient, France.

From the attack on Cologne, undertaken as captain of a Wellington bomber on the 15th February 1943, the aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew including Flight Lieutenant Milne was classified as missing. No news of the aircraft or any of its occupants was received and after due time had elapsed, Flight Lieutenant Milne's death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 15th February 1943 as the result of air operations.

5/2/162 A.S.2.
1218 hours as pilot.

Mrs. J.D. Milne (M), (right aligned)
98 Cambridge Terrace, (right aligned)
LOWER HUTT. (right aligned & underlined)