About the product

Civilian Air Ministry BEM WW2

British Empire Medal, in box of issue, Mr Charles Jeffrey Mills, attached to the Air Ministry for the war, and severely injured in the Luftwaffe bombing at RAF Tangmere 1941.

Out of stock

Origin: United Kingdom
Extremely Fine

Description

British Empire Medal, GVI, in wartime card box of issue, Mr Charles Jeffrey Mills, attached to the Air Ministry for the war, and wounded in the Luftwaffe bombing RAF Tangmere 1941.

 

Officially engraved: “Charles J. Mills.”

 

Announced in the Supplement to the London Gazette, 15th June 1945, King’s Birthday Honour award of the “British Empire Medal (Civil Division).”

 

“Charles Jeffrey Mills, Clerk of Works, Royal Air Force Station.”

 

Medal mostly unworn on ribbon and brooch as issued, in wartime card box of issue.

 

Before the war, Mr Charles Jeffrey Mills was a Master Joiner and Cabinet Maker from Skegness in Lincolnshire.

 

Skegness Standard, 27th June 1945 recalls the award:

 

“HONOURED – His many friends in Skegness will be interested to hear that Mr C.J. Mills has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours List, for Meritorious Services with the Air Ministry on the South Coast Aerodromes.

 

Mr Mils was formerly in business at Skegness for a number of years and he and his wife lived on Burgh Road.
They still have the house and other interests at the resort.

 

Mr Mills left Skegness early in the war to take up duties with the Air Ministry, and he was severely injured by a Bomb in March 1941, at Tangmere RAF Station in Sussex.

 

On recovery he was for a short spell in Surrey, and was again posted to the South Coast, to develop and maintain Ford RAF Station, where he is still in charge of the works services and all the civilian staff.

 

This station played a large part in the Dieppe Raid, D Day and other Operations, besides being one of the main Night Fighter Stations. The Couple reside at Bognor Regis.”

 

Charles Jeffrey Mills, 13th April 1905 – 1974

 

Born on 13th April 1905, in Tydd St Mary, Lincolnshire.

 

Living at Burgh Road, Skegness, Lincs in 1939 occupation “Master Joiner and Builder.”

 

Notably during the war he served firstly at RAF Tangmere, home to Douglas Bader.

 

The Air Raid mentioned where he was severely injured, occurred on 13th March 1941.

 

On this day, German Bombers of the Luftwaffe were sent on a raid which included an attack on Tangmere.

 

One of the Bombers, a Heinkel 111, went down nearby over Shipley, Horsham, 4 Crewmen died in the crash.

 

It was recorded that 1 Enemy Aircraft had machine gunned and bombed RAF Tangmere at 11:45, during which one Airman was killed, and likely the occasion that Mr Mills was injured.

 

A few days after the raid, the legend Wing Commander Douglas Bader, arrived at RAF Tangmere to take out command of Tangmere Wing of 3 Spitfire Squadrons

 

He died during 1974 in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.