A Millers Tale part 1
Lance Corporal Thomas Miller Royal Air Force & Royal Military Police
Thomas Miller
The Man Thomas ‘Dusty’ Miller was born on 1st March 1921 at Brickyard Cottages, Burgh Road, Skegness, son of John William and Leah nee Gwyther. Dusty was one of ten children, Harry, Bill, John, Joe, Fred, Sam, Flo, Daisy and Doris, and apart from overseas service with the Armed Forces lived in Skegness all of his life. During childhood the family moved to 23 Winthorpe Avenue and Dusty attended Lumley Secondary School. On 13th August 1940 aged 19 Dusty joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as Leading Aircraftsman 1104635 and was described as being 5’.6” tall with a scar below his left knee. He worked as a motor cycle despatch rider, collecting films from aircraft, taking them to be developed and then onto Headquarters for inspection. He saw service in North Africa, Malta, Italy and Greece. During the early years of the war, Dusty met his future wife Sylvia May Bennett on a blind date whilst she was ‘in service’ in a Skegness household. They married on 15th December 1945 at St. Matthew’s Church in Skegness and moved to a new council estate in Winthorpe at 37 Count Alan Road. Dusty was discharged from the RAF on 4th May 1946, his character was Very Good and his proficiency Superior. He was described by Squadron Leader T.G. Davis, Officer Commanding Headquarters 232 Wing, RAF, Greece, thus “This airman has served six years during that period he has given every satisfaction. A good solid worker, I would strongly recommend him for employment in agriculture.” For his war time service Dusty was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal and the 1939-45 British War Medal. Dusty and Sylvia had four children James Ernest who was born in 1943, Graham Charles Thomas 1947, Jennifer Elaine 1951 and Joseph Edwin Miller 1957. Following the War Dusty worked for the local Urban Council, as a General Labourer on the local gardens in Skegness, he left them to work for the Automobile Association as a Patrolman No 8505. Beginning as a motorcyclist he progressed to driving a mini van and eventually a transit van. These were the days when the AA was organised along military lines and patrolmen would salute their members.
Dusty was responsible for the AA Patrol Box at Scremby Cross Road; this he undertook with quiet pride and maintained the garden around it immaculately. On 12th March 1951 Dusty enlisted into the Army Supplementary Reserve category IIA as Lance Corporal 22552271 in the Corps of Royal Military Police, as well as being a member of the St. John Ambulance Association and becoming qualified in first aid.
Dusty and Sylvia had made plans to emigrate to Queensland in August 1952 as he had secured a job in the Australian Army; this was not to be however as sadly tragedy struck when their young Son Graham was killed when he was struck by a car on 2nd June 1952 aged only four; Sylvia did not want to leave Graham behind in the UK and the emigration had to be cancelled. On 18th August 1956 Dusty was ‘called up’ to the colours for overseas service in the Near East during Operation Musketeer, when during the two months October – December the British & French Governments tried to seize back the Suez Canal from the Egyptians. He was released back to the reserve on 14th January 1957 and awarded the General Service Medal with Near East Clasp. In 1963 Dusty and Sylvia moved to the other side of Skegness to 25 Queen’s Road taking out their first mortgage for £1750.00. In the same year Dusty was awarded the Army Emergency Reserve Efficiency Medal for his services in the reserve forces, one of only 61 awarded to the Royal Military Police.Dusty retired from the Automobile Association in 1986 aged 65 and during his retirement liked to watch war films, spending time in his garden producing his own vegetables until becoming too old to cope, and making his own wine his specialities being barley and orange and marrow rum. Sylvia passed away on 29th January 1994 and Dusty on 27th March 2001 aged 80.
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His funeral was held at Boston Crematorium on Thursday 5th April 2001 with the Reverend K Ian Banks officiating. Dusty was cremated and his ashes scattered in the grounds near to Sylvia. Click here to see more pictures from Dusty & Sylvias life.
Two anecdotal stories provided by Dusty's daughter about his time in the RAF are that whils he was serving in Malta, he heard that one of his brothers was at the same RAF base repairing runways; Dusty passed a group of men on the base and thought they were locals, not realising one of them was in fact his brother, but he was so tanned Dusty had not recognised him! The second was whlist in North Africa, Dusty and some others had made their own toilet arrangements by adapting a plank into a basic seat to make things more comfortable. When an Officer saw it he commandeered it for his and other officers use. Dusty and a mate sneaked into the officers toilet area and made some extra cuts in the plank so that the next person to sit on it would collapse into the latrine below!
The Story What started as a simple story, as is often the case, ended as rather more complicated and detailed than first thought. The medals awarded to Lance Corporal Thomas ‘Dusty’ Miller were purchased direct from a dealer on E-Bay on 26th May 2005. With them came a lot of information, photographs, certificates, pay books, medal boxes and a brief biography. In addition and unusually the vendor passed on the details of Dusty’s daughter, Mrs Jennie Gray who was willing to be contacted and give more information. Upon receipt of the medals a telephone call was made to Mrs Gray on 4 Jun 05 followed by a letter a few days later. She was more than happy to assist with further research. However actual contact was not made again until 2006 when Mrs Gray was telephoned but still no meeting arranged. On 9th April 2007 a further letter was sent to Mrs Gray followed by a telephone conversation and it was agreed to meet her in Gainsborough on Monday 28th May 2007.
Two anecdotal stories provided by Dusty's daughter about his time in the RAF are that whils he was serving in Malta, he heard that one of his brothers was at the same RAF base repairing runways; Dusty passed a group of men on the base and thought they were locals, not realising one of them was in fact his brother, but he was so tanned Dusty had not recognised him! The second was whlist in North Africa, Dusty and some others had made their own toilet arrangements by adapting a plank into a basic seat to make things more comfortable. When an Officer saw it he commandeered it for his and other officers use. Dusty and a mate sneaked into the officers toilet area and made some extra cuts in the plank so that the next person to sit on it would collapse into the latrine below!
The Story What started as a simple story, as is often the case, ended as rather more complicated and detailed than first thought. The medals awarded to Lance Corporal Thomas ‘Dusty’ Miller were purchased direct from a dealer on E-Bay on 26th May 2005. With them came a lot of information, photographs, certificates, pay books, medal boxes and a brief biography. In addition and unusually the vendor passed on the details of Dusty’s daughter, Mrs Jennie Gray who was willing to be contacted and give more information. Upon receipt of the medals a telephone call was made to Mrs Gray on 4 Jun 05 followed by a letter a few days later. She was more than happy to assist with further research. However actual contact was not made again until 2006 when Mrs Gray was telephoned but still no meeting arranged. On 9th April 2007 a further letter was sent to Mrs Gray followed by a telephone conversation and it was agreed to meet her in Gainsborough on Monday 28th May 2007.
Eventually a meeting took place and Mrs Gray, who had taken everything out her attic connected to her father spent four hours going through Dusty’s life story, and providing much original material from his life that could be copied and put into the book detailing his life story. In addition she signed letters giving permission for further research to be undertaken with the MoD Medal Office and Army Records Department. During the course of the meeting it was revealed that Dusty’s wife, Sylvia May Bennett had been a private in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the early years of the war. This immediately raised the possibility that his wife may be entitled to some medals and Mrs Gray gave permission for enquiries to be made with the MoD medal office to check her entitlement. There was also a book within the paperwork written by Sylvia giving a very detailed account of her life that proved invaluable in piecing together her own life story. The MoD Medal Office confirmed that Sylvia Miller was entitled to the 1939-45 British War Medal and this was duly received. Sadly her entitlement to the Defence Medal being short by 163 days. Amongst the papers was a lot of information on Jennie Gray’s Godfathers, Arthur & Albert Britland both of whom had been good friends of Dusty’s and had known the family for many years until their deaths. On top of all the papers, far too much to look through on the day, were two sets of medals; the Defence Medal & 1939-45 British War Medal and Defence Medal, 1939-45 British War Medal and Efficiency Medal with T&AVR suspender to the Royal Highland Regiment. Understandably it seemed wrong to separate the medals from Dusty’s as they had been friends and Godfathers to his children. Therefore an offer was made to purchase the Britland medals and paperwork which was accepted. At the time of writing these have not yet been acquired. So yet again what began as the purchase of one set of medals has expanded into an interesting family story with a rich and detailed background.
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Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded
- Italy Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- General Service Medal: 22552271 PTE.T.MILLER. R.M.P.
- Efficiency Medal: 22552271 L.CPL.T.MILLER. R.M.P.
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This page last updated 1 Mar 17