Regiment: 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers.
Died: 04 November 1942 aged 29 in Egypt. Died of wounds in Middle East.
Battle: Western Desert Campaign: June 1940 – February 1943. Cemetery: Heliopolis War Cemetery 2. G. 33.
Son of Ralph and Gwendoline Milnes, The Old Bank House, Worksop, Notts.
Senior Chapel Prefect. Head of House. Cadet Officer. Football XL
Exeter College, Oxford. (2nd Cl., Jurisprudence). Solicitor to Essex County Council.
Husband of Cynthia Milnes, of Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire. B.A.(Oxon.).
9th Queen's Royal Lancers Royal Armoured Corps
'2nd November 1942.
The regiment deployed just before first light under heavy shell-fire. It was soon obvious that 9th Brigade were having a terrific battle - A.P. tracer and burning Sherman and Grant Tanks all along the skyline. We pushed on up to them, and they withdrew through us. The rest of the day was quite undoubtedly the most unpleasant we have ever spent. The track from Aqqaqir to Sidi Abd El Rahman was the line held by the German A/Tank Guns, with a strong backing of tanks. Being leading regiment we were fired at continually by 88mm and 105mm guns from S.W., West and N.W., R.H.Q. appearing to be at the apex of all three lines of fire. It was not safe to even look out of the top of a tank, let alone get out: and we were compelled to sit indoors all day with no food or brew-ups.
'B' and 'C' Squadrons repulsed no less than six enemy tank attacks during the day, and the regiment finished with a score of 31, of which 21 were set alight, 5 A/Tank Guns (including one 88mm) and one Boche who had the impudence to ride a motor-cycle across the front of 'A' Squadron.
The officer casualties started early: Major C.D. Meyrick was slightly wounded in the head; 2/Lt J.T. Milne was also hit and evacuated.'
Unit war diary: WO 169/4481