1924 - 2009

Harry Mills was a RAAF Wireless Unit member in WW2 from 1942-45. He was brought up in Bondi where occasionally, Harry and his young mates would try to bounce the famous Bondi tram off its tracks by packing into the rear compartment and jumping in unison. He went to Sydney Boys High School and almost immediately afterwards, to WWII as a Wireless Unit staff.

Wireless Unit staff were trained to intercept Japanese Military Morse Code Transmissions. They were known as Katakana Intercept Operators.

They formed part of Central Bureau - US General Macarthur's signals and intelligence unit in the South West Pacific campaign.

The work he did saved many Allied lives by giving early warning of incoming air raids and enemy convoy and troop movements. Information intercepted by the wireless units contributed to ULTRA - the secret briefings given to General Macarthur during the second world war.

Harry Mills served in Townsville, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

In PNG and the Philippines, he worked closely with USAAF personnel. When he left the RAAF in 1946 he signed a secrecy agreement that lasted for 30 years. He was awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal in 2001.

In October 1944 he was assigned to the Philippines with the US forces as part of RAAF Wireless Unit No 6. His secret mission in Leyte was exposed by journalists and mention was made in the Australian press. Shortly afterwards his name and the names of the 23 other members of his wireless group were broadcast by the Japanese Propaganda broadcaster - Tokyo Rose.

After the War, Harry returned to Australia and became a senior journalist working on most of the major daily newspapers in Australia. We worked for the Telegraph in NSW , The Age in Victoria and finally the Courier Mail in Queensland. The last paper he worked for as a Sub Editor- The Courier Mail - was the very newspaper that had exposed his secret Philippine work in late October 1944.

Images courtesy of the Mills family.