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| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
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Ramsay Milne | Flight Lieutenant Ramsay Milne One of many Canadians who served with the Typhoon squadrons of the 2nd TAF, Ramsay Milne grew up on a farm on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, joining up in October 1940. After flying training he was posted in December 1942 to 245 Squadron on Typhoons. While engaged in a patrol to counter German hit and run radiers in May 1943, an engine failure landed him in the North Sea from which he was rescued by an RAF Walrus. In February 1944 he was posted to 440 Squadron - a Canadian unit - with which he served throughout the invasion of Normandy campaign until he was shot down and made a POW 0n 19th August 1944. -- Our ops area was south of Lisieux on the 18th August and once there it was every man for himself. Scenes are still vivid in my mind - a number of Krauts piling off a motorbike and sidecar all trying to get through a door at the same time - a lorry speeding down the road between trees, a short burst, it rolls sideways into the field. Then - motorbike speeding down the road. Ammunition was always a problem, not enough - put the bead at the point where his backside meets the saddle - just fan the gun button, it worked, one round from each gun, a bullseye. He seemed to slowly rise holding the handlebars - I was up and away - no shortage of targets. Devastation, a mild word to describe the area, and the smell of decaying Kraut was evident at 2-3000 feet. Not pleasant. Some lasted longer than others, and others not at all. My time came on August 19th around noon. Luckily I was not shot, as I had a Hun revolver, figuring I would be able to shoot my way to freedom, gangster style. My mind changed quickly when surrounded by six or seven Hun plus a Black Shirted little devil. His hostility grew when he examined the Automatic and I figured my time was up. Fortunately the gun, a Colt type, was stamped made in Belgium and I told him in Kraut English that I had bought it in Chicago. There was doubt on his face but eventually the tension eased. The next morning on the march we were shot at by a sister squadron, and to top it the leader was a French Canadian - I have checked the records. |
Items Signed by Flight Lieutenant Ramsay Milne |
  | Rocket Firing Typhoons at the Falaise Gap - Normandy 1944 by Frank Wootton. Price : £250.00 | Perhaps the most historically significant painting by Frank Wootton, painted onthe site of the battle just a few days after it took place....... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Flight Lieutenant Ramsay Milne |
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