Education Millington was educated at
Chigwell, the
College of St Mark and St John, Chelsea, and
Birkbeck College, London. He served with the
RAF 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.
Parliamentarian He was elected as MP 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 electoral truce, the Common Wealth Party refused to accept this. The local CW Party had six members and soon raised £200 for the electoral campaign. After a brief discussion the local
Communist Party decided not to support him. Nevertheless, he received the support of much of the labour movements as he advocated a distinctly
socialist programme. Millington wore his DFC 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 MP who bemoaned the fact that Millington's ribbon was being incorrectly worn. Millington told the BBC, "I was approached by a Tory MP dressed in civilian clothes and with a hand in his trouser pocket. 'Your DFC ribbon is worn too wide'. He was, I think, not expecting my reaction. 'If you are talking to me as an RAF officer: stand to attention; take your hand out of your trouser pocket and address a senior officer as Sir. If you are talking to me as a fellow Member of Parliament, mind your business and bugger off.'" ==See also==