We salute you!

Former North Tameside Scouts District Commissioner and honorary Rotarian Jack Millin celebrates his 101st birthday this May.

He is one of the few veterans still with us today who fought so valiantly and bravely to defend our freedom in World War Two.

For in 1944 and 1945, Jack, who was only 20, had joined the RAF and saw active service with the allied South African Air Force as a wireless operator and air gunner, flying in American B26 Marauder bombers on missions over northern Italy, helping to defeat the German forces.

The aircraft was nicknamed the ‘widow maker’ by its crews - but Jack lived to tell the tale of his life of service, shared in the book ‘Winged Chariots’.

In 1946 Jack, from Waterloo in Ashton, then a builder by trade and himself the son of a World War One veteran wounded in the Somme, was back home putting his skills to good use, rebuilding Britain.

Jack was only 15 when the war started, and at 16 he was one of the founder members of the Air Training Corps in Ashton.

Later in life he became a key community member, highly respected for his organisational skills. 

Jack, who lives in Stalybridge, was chair and is now honorary president of Tameside Armed Services Community and was President of the Manchester Aircrew Association.

He was also District Scout Commissioner of the Ashton-under-Lyne area, becoming the first District Commissioner of North Tameside District Scouts when the groups from Droylsden, Dukinfield and Ashton came together in 1974.

North Tameside Scouts paid their own special tribute to Jack at their recent combined St George’s and VE Day service, held at Albion Church, Ashton. 

Although unable to attend the service in person, he featured in a special video highlighting his achievements and thanking him for his service.

The video also featured Scouting legend and former Chair of North Tameside Scouts Alan Fish, who visited Jack at his home to present him with a Scouts VE80 commemorative badge from the district.

Jack has regularly featured in the Reporter columns over the years, not purely for his wartime service, but due to the depth of his involvement and service on behalf of the community.

Jack was made Honorary President of TASC just a few years ago, having chaired the veterans’ organisation from the start. The award also recognised his leading role in the Veterans in Schools programme, where ex-service men and women go into schools to share their experience and help the youngsters understand the role of the armed services. Jack would visit schools himself to share his own stories.

In the war, he served with the RAF as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, posted to the Middle East to complete his training before going on to serve with 12 Squadron South African Air Force on the B26 as part of a crew of six. He flew over 20 missions from bases in Italy. 

He considers himself very lucky as his draft was split, with those with surnames A-M going to UK-based bombers where the casualty rate was very high.

As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, we wish Jack a happy 101st birthday, but above all thank you sir, for your service.