Frank Robert Miller
| Frank Robert Miller | |
|---|---|
 Air Chief Marshal Frank R Miller |
|
| Born | April 30, 1908 Kamloops, British Columbia |
| Died | October 20, 1997 (aged 89) Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | .svg){kind=small} -RCAF, Canadian Forces |
| Years of service | 1931–1955, 1960-1966 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of Canada Commander of the Order of the British Empire Canadian Forces Decoration |
| Other work | Deputy Minister of National Defence |
Air Chief Marshal[1] Frank Robert Miller, CC, CBE, CD (April 30, 1908 – October 20, 1997) was a Canadian airman, the last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff in 1964, the first Chief of the Defence Staff from 1964 until 1966, and Deputy Minister of National Defence.
Contents |
[edit] Military career
Frank Robert Miller was born in Kamloops, British Columbia on April 30, 1908 to Hedley Miller and his wife Mary. After completing his education at the University of Alberta (where he gained a BSc) Miller joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at Camp Borden on September 15, 1931. Later in his career Miller commanded the Air Navigation School at Rivers, Manitoba and at RCAF Station Pennfield Ridge. He then commanded the General Reconnaissance School at RCAF Station Summerside before moving to the Air Force Headquarters where he served as Director of Training Plans and Requirements and then Director of Training.
In 1944 Miller, by then an air commodore, was posted to England and on September 19 he took up command of RAF Bomber Command's No. 61 Base in North Yorkshire. No 61 Base was headquartered at Topcliffe and commanded the RAF establishments at Dalton, Dishforth and Wombleton. On November 9 Millar's command was redesignated No. 76 Base and Gamston in Nottinghamshire was added as a subordinate unit. On January 13, 1945 Miller took up command of No. 63 Base which was responsible for RAF Leeming (headquarters) and RAF Skipton-on-Swale.[2]
After the war, Miller served in several senior positions in the Royal Canadian Air Force. From 1951 to 1954 Miller was Vice-Chief of the Air Staff and he was then posted to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe as General Lauris Norstad’s Vice-Deputy Air. Gaining promotion to air marshal in 1955 he then retired from the RCAF at Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent's request to serve in the senior civil service position of Deputy Minister of National Defence, remaining in post until 1960. Returning to military service in 1960, he was appointed Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff gaining promotion to air chief marshal on 1 September 1961. Three years later he become the first Chief of the Defence Staff, serving from 1964 until 1966.
In 1972 Miller was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He died in 1997.
[edit] Summary of career
- 1925 - 1931: Member of the Canadian Officer Training Corps
- 15 September 1931: Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the RCAF
- October 1931: Posted to No. 1 Squadron, Camp Borden, Ontario
- December 1931: Received pilot's wings after initial flight training.
- 16 December 1931: Promoted to Flying Officer
- July 1932 - January 1933: Served at Air Force HQ in Ottawa
- January-July 1933: Continued training at Camp Borden and in Ottawa
- July 1933: Seaplane Conversion Course at RCAF Ottawa (Rockcliffe)
- August - December 1933: Squadron Armament Officers’ Course at the Air Armament and Bomber School, Camp Borden
- January 1934 - 1935: Pilot and unit adjutant, No. 4 Flying Boat Squadron, RCAF Station Vancouver
- April 1935: Completed Air Pilotage Course
- June 1935: Completed Flying Instruction Course
- 1935 - 1937: Air and navigation instructor, Flying Training School, Camp Borden
- 1 April 1937: Promoted to Flight Lieutenant
- May 1937 - September 1938: Served at Air Navigation and Seaplane School, Trenton
- September 1938 - September 1939: At the School of Air Navigation, RAF Manston, to attend the Specialist Air Navigation Course.
- 1 April 1939: Promoted to Squadron Leader
- September 1939: Officer Commanding of the Air Navigation and Reconnaissance School,Trenton
- December 1940: Promoted to Acting Wing Commander
- June 1941: OC of No. 2 ANS, Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick
- May 1942: OC of No. 1 Central Navigation School, Rivers
- July 1942: Promoted to Acting Group Captain; appointed Commanding Officer, No. 1 General Reconnaissance School (GRS), Sunnyside, Prince Edward Island
- January 1943: Promoted to Acting Air Commodore; appointed Director of Training Plans and Requirements, AF HQ, Ottawa
- April 1944: Posted to No. 6 (RCAF) Group Headquarters, Allerton Hall, Yorkshire, England, in the rank of Group Captain.
- June 1944: Appointed CO of RCAF Station Skipton-on-Swale
- 14 October 1944: Promoted to substantive Air Commodore; appointed CO of No. 61 Base, Topcliffe
- November 1944: CO, RCAF Base No. 76
- January 1945: Appointed CO of RCAF Base No. 63, Leeming, Yorkshire, England
- July 1945: Deputy Commander of RCAF Tiger Force (never established due to Japanese surrender on 15 August)
- Late 1945: Chief Staff Officer, Air Materiel Command
- June 1946: AOC, Air Materiel Command
- August 1948: US National War College
- September 1949: AFHQ, Air Member - Operations and Training
- September 1951: Appointed Vice Chief of the Air Staff (Air Vice-Marshal)
- 1954: Vice-Deputy Air, SHAPE
- 1955: Promoted to Air Marshal
- Appointed Deputy Minister of Defence
- 1957: Command Deputy Commander-in-Chief (DCINC), NORAD
- 1960: Chair, COSC
- 1 September 1961: Promoted to Air Chief Marshal
- August 1964: Appointed first Chief of the Defence Staff
- 1966: Retired
[edit] Academic qualifications
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
- Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
[edit] References and notes
- ^ This rank was used during the existence of the Royal Canadian Air Force and replaced with the rank of general in 1968 with the unification of the Canadian Forces. Miller was the only Canadian air chief marshal to hold the rank in an active capacity. The only other Canadian air chief marshal was Lloyd Samuel Breadner who was granted the rank on retirement.
- ^ RAF.web
- ^ [1]
[edit] External links
- Order of Canada Citation
- Frank Robert Miller at The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Ray Stouffer, "Air Chief Marshal Frank Miller - A Civilian and Military Leader" Canadian Military Journal, Vol 10. No. 2 (2008)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by J L Hurley |
Air Officer Commanding No. 61 Base September – November 1944 |
Base disestablished on renumbering as No. 76 Base |
| New title Base established by renumbering No. 61 Base
|
Air Officer Commanding No. 76 Base November 1944 – January 1945 |
Succeeded by J G Kerr |
| Preceded by J G Bryans |
Air Officer Commanding No. 63 Base January – May 1945 |
Succeeded by J G Kerr |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Air Officer Commanding Maintenance Command June 1946 – August 1948 |
Succeeded by R E McBurney As AOC Air Materiel Command |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Air Member Operations and Training 1949 – 1951 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Vice-Chief of the Air Staff 1951 – 1954 |
Succeeded by C R Dunlap |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Charles Drury |
Deputy Minister of National Defence 1955 – 1960 |
Succeeded by Elgin Armstrong |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Charles Foulkes |
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff 1960 – 1964 |
Committee replaced by the Armed Forces Council |
| Preceded by Creation of position |
Chief of the Defence Staff 1964 – 1966 |
Succeeded by Jean Victor Allard |
|
|||||
