Millar, George (Reid) 1910-2005

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born September 19, 1910, in Boghall, Baldernock, Scotland; died January 15, 2005. Journalist, soldier, and author. Millar was a journalist who, during his World War II military service, was honored for a daring escape from the Germans and his service in the French Resistance. A graduate of St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1931, where he studied architecture and earned a B.A., he worked at an architectural firm in London before turning to reporting. Hired by the Glasgow Evening Citizen in 1934, he worked there for three years and then worked for the London Daily Telegraph. His ability to get in close contact with King Edward VIII during a yachting event impressed an editor at the Daily Express. Millar was subsequently hired there and sent to the paper's Paris office. He was in France when World War II broke out, which naturally led to his becoming a war correspondent. The horrors he witnessed convinced him to enlist, and he was soon assigned to the Rifle Brigade. While on a scouting mission in 1942 in Libya, he was captured by the Germans, who transferred him to the Italian Army. Millar made several escape attempts, finally succeeding in 1943. Making his way to Lyon, France, he concealed his identity by pretending to be a deaf and dumb restaurant waiter. Later, he made his way to Barcelona, Spain, and finally back to England. For his amazingly successful escape, he was awarded the Military Cross. He then volunteered to be an agent with the Special Operations Executive. He returned to France, where he received extensive training from the French Underground, helped train other resistance fighters, and was involved in dangerous missions. Millar was awarded a Distinguished Service Order and the Croix de Guerre avec Palmes from the French for his service. He wrote about his experiences in France in his 1945 book, Maquis, which was published in the United States as Waiting in the Night (1946). He also wrote of his adventures in Horned Pigeon (1946) and Road to Resistance (1979). After the war, he enjoyed a much quieter life as a Dorchester farmer. Millar was also the author of books about sailing, such as Isabel and the Sea (1948), A White Boat from England (1951), and Oyster River: One Summer on an Inland Sea (1963). Millar is also the author of the novel My Past Was an Evil River (1946).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Daily Telegraph (London, England), January 18, 2005, p. 1.

Times (London, England), January 20, 2005, p. 68.