Duncan Grinnell-Milne

Captain Duncan William Grinnell-Milne MC, DFC & Bar (1896 – 1973) was an English First World War pilot credited with six confirmed aerial victories, a prisoner of war, a flying ace and an author who successfully escaped from German captivity. Initially serving with the 7th Bn Royal Fusiliers, he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps before joining the Royal Air Force.

World War I
Grinnell-Milne was commissioned in the Rifle Brigade at age 18 in 1914. He was considered too young for frontline service. In an effort to evade this restriction, he transferred to the Royal Fusiliers, and from there to the Royal Flying Corps. He underwent pilot's training, was posted to 16 Squadron, and on 28 November 1915, in a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, he shot down an Albatros C.I. He was himself shot down on 16 May 1916, and spent over two years as a prisoner of war. He finally escaped and returned to aerial combat with No. 56 Squadron, flying the S.E.5 until the end of the war. From 5 October to 3 November 1918 he was credited with five more air victories; his final tally was a reconnaissance plane, three Fokker D.VIIs, and an observation balloon destroyed, and a D.VII driven down out of control.

Between the wars
Grinnell-Milne was assigned to 214 Squadron in Egypt in 1919. He moved on to 14 Squadron the next year. His last assignment was Assistant Air Attaché in Paris. In 1925 his son Robin was born. By the time he left the RAF in 1926, he had flown 60 different aircraft types and had amassed over 2,000 hours flight time.

World War II
He returned to service during World War II, and flew several missions over Libya. He was then invalided out. He joined the British Broadcast Corporation and stayed with them through 1946.

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Lieut. (A./Capt.) Duncan Grinnell-Milne. (FRANCE) This officer has shown exceptional gallantry and disregard of danger on numerous occasions, notably on 5th October, when he obtained a direct hit on a train with a bomb; he then attacked and destroyed in flames a balloon on the ground. On his return journey he attacked troops and transport with marked success, dropping his last bomb in the middle of a crowd of enemy troops. Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 February 1919 (31170/2039)