Ernest Rogers Millington, Distinguished Flying Cross was a British Common Wealth and later Labour Member of Parliament.
Education
Millington was educated at Chigwell, the College of Street Mark and Street John, Chelsea, and Birkbeck College, London. He served with the Royal Air Force Bomber Command during the Second World War, where he rose to the rank of wing commander and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1945.
Career
Education
Parliamentarian
He was elected as Member of Parliament for Chelmsford at a by-election in April 1945, for the short-lived Common Wealth Party. The vacancy was created by the death of the previous Conservative member, Colonel John Macnamara, killed on active service in Italy. Whereas the Conservative Liberal and Labour parties had agreed an electorial truce, the Common Wealth Party refused to accept this.
The local CW Party had six memers and soon raised £200 for the electoial campaign.
After a brief discussion the local Communist Party decided not to support him. Millington wore his Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon on his uniform when attending the House of Commons, as was customary at the time.
Many years later he fondly recalled being reprimanded by a Conservative Member of Parliament who bemoaned the fact that Millington"s ribbon was being incorrectly worn. Millington told the British Broadcasting Corporation, "I was approached by a Tory Member of Parliament dressed in civilian clothes and with a hand in his trouser pocket.
"Your Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon is worn too wide".
He was, I think, not expecting my reaction. "If you are talking to me as an Royal Air Force officer: stand to attention. Take your hand out of your trouser pocket and address a senior officer as Sir.
He was one of the first public figures to question the morality of the area bombardment of Germany.
We want – that is, the people who served in Bomber Command of the Royal Air Force and their next of kin – a categorical assurance that the work we did was militarily and strategically justified. Millington held his seat in the 1945 general election and joined the Labour Party in April 1946.
He lost his seat in the 1950 general election. Later life
Millington rejoined the Royal Air Force in 1954, but later embarked on a career in education, becoming the Head of Education at Shoreditch Comprehensive School in 1965.
He later retired to France, where he lived until his death.
Following the death of John Profumo on 10 March 2006, Millington was the only living former Member of Parliament from the 38th Parliament, elected prior to the 1945 general election. He was also the last surviving person to have served as a Common Wealth Party Member of Parliament. Millington"s autobiography, Was That Really Maine?, was published in 2006.
Politics
Nevertheless he received the support of much of the labour movements as he advocated a distinctly socialist programme. Millington saw himself "as a communist with a small c", and advocated a socialist program based on nationalisation of the land and public ownership.
Membership
37th United Kingdom Parliament. 38th United Kingdom Parliament]
If you are talking to me as a fellow Member of Parliament, mind your business and bugger official"".