FORMER town councillor, school governor and Rotary club member, Ken Miller, died this month.
About his life, his daughter Sue Latham explains, “Ken Miller, born in Butts Hill, is probably best known in the town as the former owner of hardware store Millers in the Westway Precinct, having previously worked with his father at their store in Bath Street.
“Ken went to Christchurch School then the National School and won a scholarship from the Bluecoat School to go to the County School (which later became the Grammar School) and was awarded £90 a year for his school uniform, plus a book of swimming tickets.
“At 19, he joined the RAF and following training in the UK and Canada, Ken passed his course as an Observer (Navigation, Bombing and Gunnery) with flying colours. As one of the top two in his course of 40, he was commissioned as an officer in 1943. Further training resulted in Ken being the navigator and bomber in a 4-engine B24 Liberator aircraft, flying over the sea in maritime warfare operations.
“Based in RAF St Mawgan for the D-Day landings as part of 206 Squadron, Ken took part in 62 missions, protecting the invasion ships. Their skipper was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on behalf of the crew.
“In 2018, Ken was awarded the French Legion d’Honneur for the part he played in the historic events of D-Day in June 1945.
“Whilst on leave he met Peg, who had been evacuated from London to Frome with the Express Dairy company, and they eventually married in 1944.
“He was a town councillor for many years during the seventies and was a major driving force in planning the Frome Sports Centre. He was school governor at Frome Grammar School and Oakfield School and an active lifelong member of the Frome Rotary Club.
“He died after a very short illness on 2nd September at the grand old age of 99 and will be greatly missed by all those who knew and respected him.”