Denis Woolnough Mills DSC, RN

Birth details unknown


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Ranks

1 Oct 1939 S.Lt.
16 Aug 1941 Lt.
16 Aug 1949 Lt.Cdr.
31 Dec 1956 Cdr.

Retired: 31 Jul 1970


Decorations

29 Jun 1943 DSC
1 Jan 1970 OBE
11 Jun 1988 CBE

Warship Commands listed for Denis Woolnough Mills, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Sunfish (N 81)Lt.Submarine30 Jun 194324 Jul 1943
HMS Seawolf (N 47)Lt.SubmarineAug 194323 Aug 1944
HMS Sea Devil (P 244)Lt.SubmarineDec 194425 Sep 1945
HMS Volatile (P 96)Lt.Submarine24 Sep 1945
HMS Surf (P 239)Lt.Submarine19 Oct 1945 1946
HMS Aeneas (P 427)Lt.Submarine 1948 1948

Career information

He was commander of the submarine force 6th fleet (COMSUBDIV 81) from August to November 1963

Events related to this officer

Submarine HMS Seawolf (N 47)


12 Oct 1943
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed Digby for the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was escorted by HMCS Hamilton (T/Lt.Cdr. D.G. Jeffrey, DSO, RCNR).

15 Oct 1943
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for repairs.

29 Oct 1943
With her repairs completed, HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN), departed the Philadelphia Navy Yard for New London, Connecticut, USA.

30 Oct 1943
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at New London, Connecticut, USA from the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

7 Nov 1943 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed New London for Bermuda.

11 Nov 1943 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at Bermuda.

15 Mar 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed Bermuda for Shelburne, Canada.

18 Mar 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at Shelburne, Canada.

19 Mar 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) shifted from Shelburne to St.Margarets Bay.

20 Mar 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) shifted from St.Margarets Bay to Halifax.

11 Jul 1944
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed Digby, Canada for the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was escorted by HMCS Annapolis (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.C. Walmesley, RCNR).

15 Jul 1944 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Seawolf (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for a refit.


Submarine HMS Sea Devil (P 244)


28 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted D/G trials off Helensburgh followed by trials in the Clyde area. On completetion of these trials Sea Devil returned to her builders yard at Greenock. (1)

30 Apr 1945
Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted trials in the Clyde area. On completion of these trials Sea Devil returned to her builders yard at Greenock. (1)

2 May 1945
Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted trials in the Clyde area. On completion of these trials Sea Devil returned to her builders yard at Greenock. (1)

14 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) shifted from her builders yard at Greenock to Holy Loch. (1)

14 May 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed her builders yard for Holy Loch where she arrived after only one hour. She was to start a program of trials and exercises on the Scottish West coast. (1)

16 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area. (1)

17 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area. These included night exercises. (1)

18 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area. (1)

19 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted exercises at Scapa Flow. (2)

20 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) shifted from Holy Loch to the torpedo firing range at Arrochar. (1)

21 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at the torpedo firing range at Arrochar. (1)

22 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at the torpedo firing range at Arrochar. (1)

23 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at the torpedo firing range at Arrochar. (1)

24 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at the torpedo firing range at Arrochar. (1)

25 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Havng completed her torpedo discharge trials, HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN), shifted from Arrochar to Holy Loch. (1)

28 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted D/F trials in the Clyde area. (1)

29 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted noise trials in Loch Goil. (1)

31 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. L.F.L. Hill, RNR) served as the target. These attack exercises were followed by gunnery exercises. (1)

1 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Shikari (Lt. E.A. Tyrer, DSC, RN) served as the target. (2)

2 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Shikari (Lt. E.A. Tyrer, DSC, RN) served as the target. These attack exercises were followed by a night bombardment exercise. (2)

3 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) proceeded to Holy Loch on completion of last night's exercises. (2)

4 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed Holy Loch for Scapa Flow. (2)

5 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at Scapa Flow. (2)

7 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted exercises at Scapa Flow. (2)

8 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Wizard (Lt.Cdr. R.H. Hodgkinson, DSC and Bar, RN). (2)

11 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted exercises at Scapa Flow. (2)

13 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). (2)

14 Jun 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). Also a practice attack was carried out on this destroyer.

Later this day an RDF tracking exercises was carried out with HMS Belfast (Capt. R.M. Dick, CBE, DSC, RN). (2)

18 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with Chevron (Lt.Cdr. J.F.D. Bush, DSC and 2 Bars, RN).

[Note: this destroyer had not been commissioned as of this date, she had completed construction but was not yet fitted with the new type of control tower due to delays. It had been decided to partially work-up the ship before the control tower was fitted.] (2)

20 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Myngs (Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN) and HMS Comet (Lt.Cdr. W.W. Fitzroy, RN). (2)

21 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Myngs (Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN). Also a practice attack was carried out on this destroyer. (2)

22 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted radar exercises at / off Scapa Flow with a merchant ship. Upon completion of these she set course for Holy Loch. (2)

23 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at Holy Loch. (2)

25 Jun 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) was docked in AFD 7 at Holy Loch to inspect the Starboard propeller. (2)

26 Jun 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) was undocked. She then departed Holy Loch for a simulated war patrol. (2)

27 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted attack exercises during which HMS Icarus (Cdr.(Retd.) M.W. Ewart-Wentworth, RN) served as the target. (2)

28 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted attack exercises during which HMS Sanguine (T/Lt. P.C.S. Pritchard, RNR), HMS Icarus (Cdr.(Retd.) M.W. Ewart-Wentworth, RN) and HMS Hastings (A/Cdr. E.A. Stocker, DSC, RN) served as the targets. These also included night attacks. (2)

29 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted night attack exercises during which HMS Hastings (A/Cdr. E.A. Stocker, DSC, RN) served as the targets. Upon completion of these exercises HMS Sea Devil proceeded to Holy Loch.

[Note; no log is available for July 1945 so no details of the work-up exercises for this month can be given.] (2)

6 Aug 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed the Clyde area for Gibraltar. This was the first leg of the trip to the Far East.

For the daily positions of HMS Sea Devil during the passage to Malta see the map below. (though incomplete)

(3)

10 Aug 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (3)

11 Aug 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (3)

15 Aug 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) arrived at Malta.

Now that the war with Japan had ended HMS Sea Devil was to return to the U.K. (3)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/19595
  2. ADM 173/19596
  3. ADM 173/19597

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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