Page 13 - Eagle Eye Summer 2021

100 birthday celebration
of Ret’d Veteran Reginald
(Reg) Millns
By WO1 Durbar
It is always an honour to meet veterans and I have had the pleasure of meeting a few over my time but to be asked to meet a local veteran who was turning 100 was an honour of mine. I was contacted by Ex RSM of 42 Engr Regt (Geo) now Capt Duffin (MBE) to assist a family in celebrating their father’s birthday at his home in St Ives.
I must say by the time I was asked by Capt Duffin he had already organised a quartet to play Happy Birthday, Alan Scott from the Cambridge RBL had organised for his team to meet up at Reginald’s house to lower and raise the standards (Flags) for those that don’t know so all I had to do was turn up and chat to the man himself.
Having learnt a bit about Reginald’s background from his son (Tony) I was interested in meeting the man and asking him about his time in the Army back then. Reginald was recruited in early 1940 at 19 years old into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, after training he deployed to N Africa on ships, he tells me that to get maximum capacity of soldiers on the ships they were ordered to strip out all the internal fittings to gain more room, I don’t think this would happen today!
Reg served until 1946 from N Africa he went onto Palestine, I ask him of the competition he won to be the Bren Gunner, he looked and smiled with pride, I’m not sure if I was to put a competition on now to see who wanted to take ownership of a weapon system twice as heavy as what your mucker would be carrying I would get a lot of take up! but as they say they made them differently back then. I asked him about another prize he won and that was to visit Bethlehem to take part in the midnight service one Christmas again he recalled with fondness of this time, his sporting passion is cricket and he was mentioned several time in his Regimental newsletter. He enjoyed his cricket alongside his best friend (Jim Laker).
It’s funny really I was told he forgets as people do at a certain age but what I got from speaking to Reg was he clearly remembers his military service and even though him and his colleges would of gone through tough times his face light up when in conversation of the comradeship he found throughout those years.
When you meet extraordinary people, you don’t have to be around them for long to see it so if you get the chance to meet our veterans take the time to do so it will inspire you.
eagleye 13