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November 2011 Senior Connector www.seniorconnector.com Page 23Lest We ForgetRemembering — Flight Sergeant William Francis MillerdBy Marie Slade (niece)A wonderful piece waswritten about my UncleBill, whom I never met butfeel drawn to through themany recollections of myfamily. My cousin, FrankMillerd, researched hisuncle’s war time experiencesand drew together his storyfor our family. I thankhim most heartedly forhis work on behalf of us. Ishare this now, as a tributeto young Bill and hope Imight shed a little lighton those experiences ofour present day soldiers inthese troubled times and thecourage they display.William (Bill) FrancisMillerd was born and raisedin Vancouver and PrinceRupert. He applied to theRCAF on May 29, 1940, asthe Dunkirk evacuation wastaking place. His interviewerwrote “that he was very keento join, wants to be a pilotand will probably be OKas such, but to get in haschosen Observer Course.He is of the right type. Welleducated, good demeanorand correct attitude.” Hewas considered “fullyqualified in personal respectsfor commissioned rank” andrecommended for pilot. (1)June 26, 1940, the newlyenlisted trainee left theToronto Manning Depot forwireless school in Calgaryand then on to bombingand gunnery training inMossbank, Saskatchewanwhere he also took his airgunner courses. Boarding,most likely, the Georgic, aCunard White Star linerin Halifax, he left for theUnited Kingdom on April10, 1941. (2)When he reachedEngland, he attended radioschool and underwentvarious operational trainingcourses, where the specialistsfor a crew trained together.He wrote in his lettershome about his food andhis quarters, remarkingabout the difficulty inkeeping warm in hisaccommodations. “This fireplace is our main attractionin this house. Ken and Ispend half our day gettingit going, and trying to solvethe mysteries of the drafts.”(April 25, 1941). He noted,“For breakfast we had, tomy amazement, herrings intomato sauce!” The familymust have smiled with himat that, as the family wasin the cannery business onthe Pacific Coast and wereWilliam Francis MillerdSubmitted photowartime suppliers of thevery thing!In September 1941, UncleBill was selected for pilottraining and recommendedfor commissioning as anofficer. He wrote home thatit would be several monthsbefore seeing action as anair gunner. (Letter, Sept.3,1941) He was finallyassigned after nine monthsin England to an operationalbomber squadron, the408 (RCAF) Squadronstationed then at Baldron,Nottinghamshire.The squadron flewHandley Page Hampdenmedium bombers, servingthe RAF on the front lineat the beginning of thewar. In 1932 the BritishAir Ministry had requesteda twin-engine, mediumday bomber be built.The Handley Page hadtwin Bristol Pegasus ninecylinder radial engines.All metal, it had a deepfuselage to accommodatebombs, extremely narrowat one meter wide, withtwin tail booms to supportits twin-finned tail. It wasnicknamed “the flyingsuitcase”, “the flying tadpole”and “ferocious frying pan”!The narrowed fuselage’saerodynamic streamliningmeant that it was difficultfor the four man crew tomove around. As such, thepilot could not be replacedif necessary and there couldnot be powered turret gunsfor its defense. (3)It carried a crew of four,a pilot positioned forward,high up in the fuselage, anavigator forward in thenose, a wireless operator/gunner perched in the toprear fuselage spot and the2nd wireless operator/gunner crammed downinto the lower rear fuselage.My Uncle Bill occupiedthis latter turret position.A former pilot commentedthat the “rear bottomgunner had the least spaceof all. How the gunnersever folded themselves intotheir positions, I’ve oftenwondered.” (4) “The gunnerscould often spend very long,very boring hours staringout into space. But they hadto remain alert and vigilantconstantly looking forenemy fighters. Constrictedin their tiny turrets theirjoints stiffened and theirbottoms became absolutelynumb.” (5)The Hampden wasdesigned to carry mines.Mines were laid inenemy shipping channels,waterways and harboursto thwart the Germanmerchant marine. It couldcarry two 250 lb. delayedaction bombs under eachwing, as was the caseduring Bill’s fatal flight.The Hampdens and theircrews significantly impactedthe Germans’ shipping,and tied up critical enemyresources but not withoutsignificant loss to theBomber Squadron. TheGermans positioned flakbatteries on the shippingchannels’ shores and hadarmed mine sweepers,fishing boats and other shipswith flak guns ending someruns in disaster with manyplanes lost. For example, onMarch 27/28 1942, fifteenHampdens were sent tolay mines on the Germannorthwest coast. Three, withall veteran crews were notheard from again. “BetweenApril 13/14,1940 the firstHampden mine layingflight, and July 12/13,1942,the last, 75 Hampdenswent missing with 260crew members killed, 42became prisoners of warand one escaped captureand managed to return toEngland.” (6)In 1995, the pilot thatflew my Uncle Bill’s lastflight wrote a letter tomy family recalling thatlast operation for us. Hehad come to realize overthe years that there wasnothing he could havedone differently. He hadto carry out is duty, but hewanted the family to knowof the crew’s bravery anddedication. They had laidtheir mine at the necessaryaltitude of 700 ft and werestill flying the low altitude,when they came upon themine sweeper they hadspotted on the way over. Hehad previously discusseda plan of attack with hiscrew and it was unanimousthat they would fly overthe ship on their way backto England, release theirtwo 250 lb. bombs, the twogunners raking the ship withmachine-gun fire. The pilotrecalled that he had linedup with the target and hadto slide back the windscreento get a better view asthe moon was shiningblindingly bright. The pilotrecalls the ship openingfire hitting the port engine,fire racing along the wing.As their altitude was onlyabout 200-300 ft., screamedat each other trying to helpone another. On November11, 2007, the pilot recalledthat disastrous flight toan interviewer from theToronto Star, “Skipper we’vebeen hit…No, no there’sno time!” Helpless, theywere catapulted into thefrigid Baltic Sea. The pilotrecovered consciousness in aGerman Hospital, a prisonerof war, having been thrownout of the plane. The rest ofthe crew went down withtheir bomber. My uncle Billdied after only seven weeksof missions on May 16 th ,1942 at the age of 24.His body drifted ashoreat Odder, south of Aarhus,Denmark, on Sept. 12,1942.The Aarhus Chief of Policenoted a funeral would beheld and later described it.The German commanderhad come to his office,telling him of a recoveredEnglishman’s body andthat it was to be buried thefollowing day. They buriedmy uncle Bill with militaryhonours, recognizing hisdeath in the line of duty,his rank and perhapsappreciating his youthfulcourage. Pictures, most likelyby those Danes present,were taken and eventuallyforwarded to the family,show the German DefenseForce was represented bythe commanding majorand two other officers.They processed graveside accompanied by a 21piece military band and 30soldiers. The police chiefand three Danish militarypersonnel also attended.The coffin was drapedwith an “English flag” andthe German padre readthe service. Wreaths wereprovided by the GermanDefense Force, the AarhusCity Council and the PoliceChief at the grave side.Three volleys were fired inthe ensuing silence. (7)It would seem that anamazing grace surroundedmy young uncle in hisdeath. The Germans’deliberate efforts to honoura life, not knowing Bill,but perhaps recognizing inhim a soldier carrying outhis duty, an energetic son,a carefree brother, full ofthe devilment and a friend,loyal to the last, were quietlycarried out across the oceanon a family’s behalf andunbeknownst to them.The pilot should yearslater summon the courageto contact my family todescribe his crew’s last hour.In total agreement, fouryoung men focused all theircourage to do somethingthey believed in, to helpmake a difference. Theyfaced their destiny withdetermination and strength,quietly accepting whatmight come and in fact did.Cared for by the very peoplethey tried to stop, they restnow in peace and in Grace.The Province of B.C.named and dedicatedMillerd Point off theprovince’s coast to my uncleBill Millerd for his serviceand life. It is so named, LestWe Forget.1Attestation Paper,William Millerd.See Flight Sergeant Millerd page 24Books for EveryoneSheet MusicMoviesRecords and CDs2011November 12-26Sahali MallInformation 250-372-5000Most items only $2Donations gratefully accepted
Page 24Senior Connector www.seniorconnector.comNovember 2011Dancing In The RainType 2 Diabetes seminar, inspires recipientsIt was a busy morning, about 8:30, when anelderly gentleman in his 80s, arrived to havestitches removed from his thumb. He said he wasin a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 a.m.I took his vital signs and had him take a seat,knowing it would be over an hour before someonewould to able to see him. I saw him looking athis watch and decided, since I was not busy withanother patient, I would evaluate his wound.On exam, it was well healed, so I talked toone of the doctors, got the needed supplies toremove his sutures and redress his wound. Whiletaking care of his wound, I asked him if he hadanother doctor’s appointment this morning, ashe was in such a hurry. The gentleman told meno, that he needed to go to the nursing home toeat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to herhealth.He told me that she had been there for a whileand that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s disease.As we talked, I asked if she would be upset ifhe was a bit late. He replied that she no longerknew who he was, that she had not recognizedhim in five years now.I was surprised, and asked him, “And you stillgo every morning, even though she doesn’t knowwhom you are?”He smiled as he patted my hand and said,“She doesn’t know me, but I still know who sheis.”I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goosebumps on my arm, and thought, “That is thekind of love I want in my life.”True love is neither physical, nor romantic.True love is an acceptance of all that is, hasbeen, will be, and will not be.With all the jokes and fun that is in e-mails,sometimes there is one that comes along thathas an important message. This one I thought Icould share with you. The happiest people don’tnecessarily have the best of everything; they justmake the best of everything they have. I hope youshare this with someone you care about. I justdid.“Life isn’t about how to survive the storm,but how to dance in the rain.”presentsJamie Farr from M*A*S*H in Mitch Albom’sby Jeffrey Hatcher & Mitch AlbomBased on the book by Mitch AlbomAlso starring Réjean Cournoyer. Directed by Ron UlrichNovember 3-12, 2011Kamloops Convention CentreMonday & Tuesday – 7:30pmWednesday to Saturday – 8:00pmSaturday Matinees – 2:00pmwctlive.caBy Wendy WeseenI have Diabetes Type 2.This is the kind you getlater in life after a wholelot of living. For 8 years,I’ve stayed off insulin. Itried many diets to keep myblood sugar balanced - thetraditional diabetic diet,vegetarian and even vegan.Sometimes, I pretended Ididn’t have diabetes andwould take on carbohydrateslike a bear going intohibernation. Daily exercisehasn’t got rid of my appleshapedtummy (an organ allof its own Dr Oz tells me)and losing weight has eludedme. When my feet startedto become numb, the truthhit me. This disease couldimpact the quality of my lifefor the rest of my life. If Ididn’t get it under control, Icould become disabled.Recently, Manshadi Pharmacysponsored a workshopand potluck supper withLaura Kalina and CherylChristian of Kamloops, theauthors of Low GlycemicMeals in Minutes, a nationalbest seller available at everypharmacy in Kamloops. Theevent was illuminating andthe twenty-five participantswent away both inspired andshaken by its message.Diabetes has become oneof the most widespread diseasesin Canada. Over thepast thirty-five years, thenumber of diabetes cases hasmultiplied fivefold but themost amazing fact is thatapproximately half of ournation doesn’t yet know theyhave it.Canadians have believeda high-carbohydrate dietis the healthiest way toeat. Fast food outlets andour busy lives have easilyhelped us fall into this path.Carbohydrates are longchains of sugars that arereleased at various rates inthe body. The rate sugarsare absorbed and increaseblood sugar is called theglycemic index (GI).Carbohydrates such as whitebread (with a GI of 100),white flour, pasta, whiterice, and potatoes releasesugar rapidly and have ahigh-glycemic index. Theyincrease blood sugar fasterthan if you slapped whitesugar onto your tongue.Because blood reaches everypart of the body via everytiny little capillary, highblood sugar causes dreadfulA woman went her doctor complaining that she wasexhausted all the time. After the diagnostic testsshowed nothing, the doctor finally asked her how oftenshe has intercourse.“Every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday,” she says.The doctor advised her to cut out Wednesday.“I can’t,” said the woman. “That’s the only night I’mhome with my husband.”damage to eyes, kidneys,liver, the circulatory systemand heart.A rapid rise in bloodsugar after a high glycemicmeal stimulates the releaseof insulin from the pancreas,and is needed to controlblood sugar level. Whenthe blood sugar drops, ourbody craves more calories touse up the left over insulin.Generally in haste, we grabfor readily available highglycemic foods, setting upa pattern of cycles day afterday. Over time, this causesus to become less and lesssensitive to our own insulin(insulin resistance).Laura and Cheryl reassuredus that insulin resistancecould be preventedand treated by making someFrom page 23In a World War 1 bomber anobserver, whose main duty wasreconnaissance, was often theonly crewmember other than thepilot. In World War 2, however,bomber crewmembers were neededwith specialized training in areassuch as navigation and gunnery.Charles Webster and Noble Frankland.The Strategic Air OffensiveAgainst Germany 1939-1945.Vol. I. (London: H.M.S.O, 1961)Bill’s acceptance for the ‘observercourse’ meant he would receivetraining for a role other thanpilot, although he had been recommendedfor pilot training.2This assumption is basedon information in a September2, 1941 report from CanadianMilitary Headquarters in theUnited Kingdom (http://www.duchessofbedford.com/cmhq045.pdf ) and a listing of naval eventsfor April 1941 (http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4104-31APR01.htm), which listthe Georgic as sailing when Billdid. Also, in his on-line memoirs,Sergeant Pilot William AubreyBrew of the Royal Australian AirForce, who trained in Canada,states that he traveled to the UKon the Georgic at the same timeas Bill did. (http://brew.clients.ch/BillRAF2.htm). The convoyof two troop ships, escorted by abattleship and various destroyers,arrived at the River Clyde inScotland on April 19, 1941. SeeJ.L Raybould, “MVGeorgic”, http://www.norfolkbc.fsnet.co.uk/archive_collection/georgic/georgic.htm for informationon the Georgic. The ship,which carried 1,600 passengersbasic lifestyle changes. Carbohydrateswith high fiber(over 3 g) such as sproutingwheat bread, sweet potatoes,brown rice, whole-wheatpasta, beans, apples, berries,a whole host of vegetableswith low-glycemic index,raise sugar slowly. Consistentlyeating these foods andavoiding simple processedcarbohydrates keeps ourblood sugar from spikingand balances it throughoutthe day. I’m not saying thischange is easy. For carbohydratejunkies like me, ina world of temptation andconstant food advertising, itis a hard slog but if you areat risk for diabetes due toobesity, family history andlife style, the alternative isdeadly.Flight Sergeant Millerdin peacetime, carried 3,000 as atroop ship.3Chaz. Bowyer, HampdenSpecial (London: Ian Allan Ltd.,1978); Hugh A. Halliday, “Canadaand the Hampden.” CAHS:The Journal of the Canadian AviationHistorical Society 36, no. 1(1998): 22-32; J Brian Johnsonand H. I. Cozens, Bombers: TheWeapons of Total War (London:Thames Methuen, 1984); HarryMoyle, The Hampden File (Tonbridge,Kent, UK: Air-Britain,1989).4W. J. Lewis, “Hampden Opswith 44 Squadron RAF.” CAHS:The Journal of the CanadianAviation Historical Society 44,no. 4 (Winter 2006): 124-133,156-158, p.129. Lewis also commentsthat, with no washroomfacilities on the aircraft, crewmembershad to ‘carry a bottle’.5Mark Connelly, Reaching forthe Stars, and A New History ofBomber Command in World WarII, p.146Brereton Greenhous, StephenJ. Harris, William C. Johnston,and William G. P. Rawling. TheCrucible of War, 1939-1945;Harry Moyle, The Hampden File;Denis Richards, The Hardest Victory,RAF Bomber Command inthe Second World War; MartinMiddlebrook and Chris Everitt,The Bomber Command War Diaries,An Operational ReferenceBook, 1939-1945 (New York:Viking, 1985)7Letter from the Ministry ofForeign Affairs to the Danishconsulate in Vancouver, March28, 1947.
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