Norman Macmillan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1892-08-09)9 August 1892 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 5 August 1976(1976-08-05) (aged 83) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Unit | Glasgow Highlanders No. 45 Squadron RFC |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Air Force Cross |
| Other work | Test pilot, author andDeputy Lieutenant |
Wing CommanderNorman MacmillanOBE, MC, AFC, DL (9 August 1892 – 5 August 1976)[1] was a Scottish officer of the Royal Air Force, a World War Iflying ace,test pilot, and author.
Macmillan was born inGlasgow, Scotland, the son of John Campbell Macmillan and Jeanie (née Hamilton), and was educated atAllan Glen's School and theRoyal Technical College.[1] He was a great-nephew of RevJames Campbell (1789-1861), parish minister of Traquair, and consequently related to Rev George Campbell (1827-1904), minister of Eastwood, and to the Very RevJames Montgomery Campbell.[2]
On the outbreak of World War I in 1914 Macmillan enlisted as a private in the9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion of theHighland Light Infantry and served in Belgium and France,[1] spending 16½ months in the trenches.[3] He then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, being commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on 26 September 1916,[4] and was appointed a flying officer on 27 February 1917.[5] Posted toNo. 45 Squadron RFC flying theSopwith 1½ Strutter andSopwith Camel aircraft, he became anace, being credited with nine aerial victories between 5 June and 20 October 1917.[1] He was also appointed aflight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 1 September 1917.[6] Macmillan was removed from front line service after a flying accident on 6 January 1918, and returned to England, where he served as a flying instructor.[7] He received theMilitary Cross "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" in February 1918,[8] and also theAir Force Cross.
Macmillan relinquished his RAF commission "on ceasing to be employed" on 10 June 1919,[9] though this was later cancelled.[10] He was re-employed by the RAF and granted a temporary commission as a flight lieutenant on 15 April 1921.[11]
He served as a flying instructor to the Spanish Navy and Army Air Forces, seeing action in the Spanish front lines during theRif War in Morocco.[3]
In 1922 he, MajorW T Blake andGeoffrey Malins made an unsuccessful attempt to fly aDaily News-sponsored round-the-world flight. The first stage from London to Calcutta was flown in a modifiedde Havilland DH.9, initiallyG-EBDE, and subsequentlyG-EBDL which was later donated to theUniversity of Benares. The second stage from Calcutta to Vancouver ended with the loss of the aircraft,Fairey IIIC floatplaneG-EBDI, in the Bay of Bengal.[12] Macmillan would subsequently write of the attempt in his 1937 book,Freelance Pilot. The flying journalAeroplane appeared to have little respect for the expedition, printing a weekly satirical cartoon based on the then popular Adventures ofPip, Squeak and Wilfred serial, as"The Adventures of Mac, Broome and Wilfred", followed by a satirical letter addressed to"My Dear Pilots and Ground Wallahs".[13]
During the early 1920s, Macmillan worked as a free-lancetest pilot, unattached to any particular company.[14] He flewFairey aircraft from 1921,[15] and also took fiveParnall aircraft on their first flights,[16] taking part in the 1923Lympne light aircraft trials, demonstrating theParnall Pixie aircraft.[17] Macmillan eventually joined Fairey full-time in early 1925 as chief test pilot[14] and stayed with them until the end of 1930. He then became chief consultant test pilot toArmstrong Whitworth Aircraft.[18] In 1925 he was the first to land (an emergency landing) atHeathrow, which then was a row of cottages in land used formarket gardening.
In addition to flying Macmillan wrote numerous magazine articles, as well as books on aviation, including a series detailing the history of theRoyal Air Force during the Second World War. Despite being partly written during the war they are remarkably detailed and accurate. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II as awar correspondent, rising to the rank of acting wing commander.[1]
On 12 April 1946 Macmillan was commissioned as apilot officer in theRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch),[19] and was promoted toflying officer on 1 April 1947.[20] On 12 April 1954 his period of service was extended for another four years.[21]
Macmillan also served as the commander of the Cornwall Wing of theAir Training Corps from 1945 until 1958, and was the First RAF member of the Cornwall Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association from 1947 to 1961, twice serving as Vice-Chairman (Air). He was also the President of the National League of Airmen, a founder associate member of the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers in 1919, and was made an Associate Fellow of theRoyal Aeronautical Society in 1928, and in 1929 was one of the founders of theGuild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators, a first Warden, Deputy Master (1934–35), and a Freeman andLiveryman of the Guild.[3]
Among his other achievements Macmillan was the first pilot to fly from London to Sweden in a day; a prizewinner at the first International Light Aeroplane meeting; and was the first British pilot to fly across the Andes.[3]
He was appointed aDeputy Lieutenant forCornwall in September 1951,[22] and was appointed anOfficer of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire in the1956 New Year Honours.[23]
In 1963 Macmillan was interviewed for the BBC documentary seriesThe Great War, made to mark the 50th anniversary of the war. In it he spoke about his experiences flying ground attack missions during thebattle of Passchendaele, of air combat, and of the differences in the experience of fighting as an infantryman in the trenches and as a pilot. The full unedited interview was made available online in 2014.[24]
Norman Macmillan was married to actressGladys Mary Peterkin Mitchell ("Pat"; stage name "Ena Beaumont"),Geoffrey Malins' former wife.[25]
Macmillan also gave a talk onBBC Radio on 17 October 1923,[26] a transcript of which was published in the 23 November 1923 edition ofThe Radio Times.[27]
