Operation: Reconnaissance

Date: 16th December 1940 (Monday)

Unit No. 1 PRU, 15 Group, Coastal Command

Type: Spitfire IA

Serial: X4350

Code: LY

Base: RAF St. Eval, Cornwall

Location: Atlantic Ocean, off Lannilis, France

Pilot: Fg Off. 'PAT' Samuel James Millen DFC 41047 RAF Age 26. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 14:15 hrs from RAF St. Eval in Cornwall to carry out a low level reconnaissance of Brest.

There are no German fighter claims that were recorded for this day.

The body of the pilot was washed ashore at a later date near Tréflez. Buried in the local cemetery and the only Commonwealth grave in the churchyard.

Details of that operation (courtesy Victoria University of Wellington):

On the 29th October 1940, Fg Off. Millen left RAF Heston in a new type long-range Spitfire, to carry out a high altitude photographic reconnaissance of Berlin. He found it covered with cloud so decided therefore to look for other targets. He succeeded in photographing Stettin, Swinemunde, Rostock and Warnemunde, and returned to RAF Heston after a flight of five hours fifty-five minutes at 27,000 feet. This is the first operation on which this type of aircraft has been used, and Fg Off. Millen deserves great credit for his initiative in carrying on further into enemy territory, photographing what he knew were important targets, when he found Berlin covered with cloud. He has completed over thirty photographic operations in this Unit, all over enemy territory, in unarmed single-seater aircraft at high altitudes.

On the 10th November 2025 over 100 local villagers and an attachment from the French Air Force braved the rain and high winds to attend the a remembrance at his grave.

Personal messages were sent by the Mayor of Whanganui, the New Zealand Ambassador in Paris, The RAF, and the Prince and Princess of Wales. The local paper gave two whole page spreads to cover the briefing to the village school and the event itself.

Ian Martyn of Medals Reunited of New Zealand and Jonathan Ives traced the relatives of the pilot. With thanks also to John Duncan for supplying this information and photographs.

Burial Details:

Fg Off. Samuel James Millen DFC. Treflez Churchyard. Also remembered on family grave in Aramoho Cemetery, Whanganui, New Zealand. Born on the 20th January 1914 at Wanganui, the son of Samuel George Armstrong Millen. Assistant manager of Messr.w. Ross and Glendiningr Wanganui branch . (died 02nd December 1941, age 64) and Olive Jane Kidd Millen (née Black - died , of Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand. A total of 723 flying hours logged and having completed 50 operational sorties

A total of 723 flying hours logged and having completed 50 operational sorties.

The DFC was awarded to Fg Off. on the 12th November 1940.

Citation: 'Flying Officer Samuel James MILLEN (41047). Late in October, 1940, this officer successfully completed a special mission involving a hazardous flight of 5 hours 55 minutes at a height of 27,000 feet. The success he achieved in this, and many similar flights, is due to his initiative and. keenness, combined with enthusiasm and very thorough preparations before flight'.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, Michel Schreiber for grave photograph, Victoria University of Wellington. Thanks to Antonio McDonald for pointing out that Fg Off. was in the RAF and not the RNZAF (Nov 2023), Medals Reunited of New Zealand, Jonathan Ives and John Duncan.

Other sources listed below:

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