military career military career australian test cricketer australian rules lasted august june world war interrupted sporting career miller enlisted militia switching royal_australian_air_force served november discharged rank flying officer miller trained fighter pilot month european theatre war flew combat missions german installations miller notable efforts cricketer representing royal_australian_air_force cricket team day victory tests followed tour indian australia serving militia miller continued playing football saints interstate cricket victoria duty miller struggled conform military norms soon fined insulting language superior officer late left militia accepted tore form friend rejected enlisting raaf initial training earned wings deployed united_kingdom early continued training squadron raf miller survived disciplinary incidents training eventually combat operations closing stages european theatre war narrow escapes death combat training period received campaign medals service away battle onwards miller selected represent raaf series matches royal_air_force english teams objective matches german attacks team officially designated military unit following nazi surrender raaf team merged members team involving army air force personnel competed england victory tests following end war tour england services team toured indian returning australia playing season australian states miller vice captain team return leg tour australia miller australia scorer victory tests came fore fast bowling miller acclaimed free spirited adventurous batting attributed sport comparison war particularly exhibited minutes involvement wartime cricket miller met future international colleagues england australia case contemporaries miller sporting career interrupted world war august end football season year war broke miller joined militia army reserve assigned late september eliminated football season miller began army training camp melbourne meant able continue sporting career training non clashes authority november charged insulting language superior officer fined shillings miller persona soon saw earn nickname dusty referring tendency involved dust meaning physical fight summer miller granted leave play interstate cricket season shortened war miller played matches scored runs second match south_australia miller scored summer bowled time class level conceding runs solitary match took maiden class wicket war fundraising match caught wicket keeper pace noticed season went ahead despite loss players military service miller alternated playing attack depending match conditions kicking miller play attack kicked wind return defensive position forward line alternated future teammate goals games including match miller gained reputation opponents kicking showed authority reputation match melbourne boss state cricket team mate played miller charged raised elbow start match forcing boss taken field miller came second best team came second miller season ended early called army service stationed northern suburb disciplinary problems disliked taking orders officers felt inferior left militia november miller friend attempted join ran navy friend miller tore protest left recruiting office walked corner royal_australian_air_force raaf recruiting office aware risks playing colleagues killed injured captured threat combat increased opened december japanese attack pearl harbor cricket season cancelled cricket football grounds converted army bases january called active service raaf sent south_australia south adelaide miller quickly showed anti authoritarian streak training drill miller instructor asked recruits recruits feared weekend leave cancelled succeeded sergeant rifle sergeant assured case miller volunteered combat instructor succeeded removing sergeant angrily protested miller told miller repeat feat miller sergeant disarmed time boot shirt instructor cancelled miller leave guard duty threatening recruits fate protesting miller treatment recruits protested ruling camp adjutant overruled sergeant putting guard duty instead miller soon february japanese launched air raids australian soil targeting northern city darwin miller trained flying schools south_australia north adelaide gained wings late played match football season playing combined team posted south_australia team lost december returned melbourne promoted rank flight sergeant january embarked uss west point port melbourne europe readiness war combat journey included february training camp boston united_states miller met future wife engaged miller left united_kingdom arrived scotland march deployed southern english coastal town popular tourist resort turned military centre target frequent german air raids britain miller continued training spending spare time pursuing love classical music cricket miller death april invited play weekend cricket raaf team london away weekend match local pub ate lunch sunday struck german air strike miller weekly killed selection raaf cricket team saved miller quickly gained reputation servicemen batting bowling bowled proper run managed trouble batsmen pace bounce regardless raaf team officially formed preparation season miller selected captain flying officer miller played match lord home cricket warner team included england captains future test players oblivious authority miller pushed person dressing room way match started unaware warner secretary warner batted miller dismissed allen taking overs hosts miller came fall wicket hit consecutive bowling royal_air_force raf raaf bowled miller scoring second innings time ran match ended draw match sussex miller scored minutes striking tore sussex breaking defences players bowled leg wicket team won runs played match sussex raf scoring taking raaf played matches season winning losing rest miller score faster time went play composite team day match england august scoring bowling total overs runs taking wicket england fielded team test standard capped test players debut immediately resumption international cricket following war match marked meeting miller good friend england batsman battle miller aimed short ball took past shoulder went end season miller bowling began attract media attention ended season match lord airmen raaf raf miller took scored raaf total matches season accorded class status late miller based gloucestershire night pulled commanding officer wearing uniform cap altercation resulted miller posed punch officer result miller charged sentenced week disciplinary course hard labour october november mid november posted near newcastle trained use radar oxford aircraft stay miller thrown wrestling match sustaining injury caused recurring problems later years diminishing ability bowl miller selected raaf team near death experiences knowledge die changed miller outlook life raaf teammate killed mission soon hitting century match lord july miller reached air raid signalled arrival german flying bomb landed south ground miller struck register ton flying bomb crashed close ground crowd match england boasted capped future players miller scored minutes miller raaf track reach target partners dismissed raaf fell runs short losing seven wickets runs took match figures bristol scored second innings low scoring match miller selected match england scoring drawn encounter success season especially miller attractive batting prompted warner begin planning test series respective armed services england australia months training miller offered commission pilot officer best friend missed arranged flight lieutenant australian cricket official pull strings ensuring friend promotion pair posted lincolnshire august operations training unit purpose officers flying aircraft trip visit colleagues night drunken led property damage injury miller friend charged offences faced possible expulsion miller new posting old miller given week disciplinary course pleas convinced reduce sentence fine property damage miller allowed resume training near miss instruments plane failed forced land repairs repairs pilot plane problem second pilot crash landed killed later miller returning training mission france runway bouncing plane trying lift engine responded unequal power supply caused plane missing hangar centimetres escaped death social appointment agreed attend rocket hit venue killed patrons inside october went watch perform london dismissed revoked decision condition miller play cricket team officer end officer training miller sent aboard royal_navy destroyer exchange programme forces miller friend reported harbour late night punished having wait turn second vessel voyage escort merchant ships belgium vessel involved battle german boat sunk return england miller promoted flying officer november miller pilot navigator saying landing close march miller deployed raf station norfolk assigned squadron raf flying fighter bombers miller squadron took missions nazi_germany april attacked production sites island north_sea objective germans offensive capability april miller took attack german installation germany flew hour trip squadron deployed operation fire bash attack island coast denmark nazis soldiers sailors artillery pieces defending british american airmen died attempt capture miller colleagues tanks loaded dropped germans miller loads remained wing refusing drop flew base explosives fell landing air base miller failed detonate planes involved raid lucky shot miller avoided european missions bad weather forced cancellation additional raids days time germany surrendered organised fly air force personnel germany view results allied bombing called tours flight leading formation aircraft miller broke away group returned base late asked gone separately miller said wanted fly birthplace disciplined incident victory tests end war marked start cricket season miller returned lord scored raaf british empire team opened season wicket win warner organised series matches england australian servicemen known victory tests celebrate end hostilities australian cricket administrators day matches official test matches arguing test level players armed services england close strength raaf teams merged strengthen quality result australian services cricket team formed leadership warrant officer compete victory tests capped test player class experience australia lord expected usher new post war era hoped aggressive attractive test series war featured large number draws defensive play england batted miller came fifth bowler bowled pilot colleague end english collapse reply england miller came joined miller gradually progressed australia taken lead cut loose spending minutes 90s finished minutes straight times opined innings good century seen lord long day said getting runs characteristic australians declared brilliant new star joined cluster australia took run lead reached second innings target balls spare win wickets despite miller run took duck raaf lost raf runs day match miller went play day match raaf lancashire low scoring game took match figures scoring innings victory miller represented raaf raf lord scored minutes played lane sheffield damaged german air raids sent bat miller went run innings second innings miller bowled fast hostile spell hitting test world record holder arm hitting head provoking angry crowd reaction comparing miller later removed ended efforts led calls start taking bowling seriously instead simply releasing ball especially south african representative despite miller fell second innings australia fell runs short target series squared june speculation miller squadron deployed burma fight japan meantime airmen continued practice flying miller earning making leisure flights later ordered fly tour flights germany wanting miller lodged reports saying causing unnecessary maintenance work ordered miller plane instead caught fire mid flight functional engine navigator assist miller came air base fuselage wings broken plane flames miller escaped physical injury shaken accident miller escaped disciplinary action playing sport hour later day miller headed lord play raaf south england chasing miller scored unbeaten minutes australians placed reach target rain washed match scored took raaf defeated army lord despite efforts previous victory test miller sixth choice bowler coming england time measured run miller struck bowled removed ended overs miller bowled seven innings rewarded new ball second innings bowled duck bowling end left australia target hours miller came bat saw australia target unbeaten opined miller innings directed cover driving pace bowling formed telling majestic feature day match yorkshire miller struck including team mates passed innings featured strokes foot day scored minutes durham took win raaf raaf miller scored scotland fourth victory test lord miller came slow start scored century taking minutes reach mark removed struck driven second innings came wickets australia scored unbeaten ensure australia collapse lose match public reception victory tests resulted additional fifth match added schedule warm match miller took meantime japan surrendered squadron disbanded miller spent hours air raf raaf unit active service received france war medal medal final australia batted collapsed overcast conditions green pitch miller came swinging ball miller struck faced went finish display featured strong cutting driving australia manage took wicket ball managed second innings england won wickets square series wrote end series cricket games shown international cricket played real friends let talk war cricket miller topped batting averages series runs aggregate exceeded hammond respectively miller took wickets miller batting said second exploits military teams led compare broken flight cricket exploits team immediately world war big match season lord england combined team players miller managed innings coming second innings england leading runs miller settled quickly hitting second ball covers moved minutes brought half century lifting straight crowd balls later hit ball point stumps morning partner dismissed replaced captain miller began attack hitting dual leg spin pairing wright parts ground point bowler fence registered century minutes balls boundary morning session miller travelled air block pavilion aimed shot long bowling directly pavilion rising narrowly went press box roof test spinner brought miller deposited drives fence minute passage play constantine added runs departed minutes scored total runs minutes batting morning session miller struck total seven prompting warner years involvement class cricket seen hitting went win runs match described finest seen commenting miller innings said moment takes guard plays ball supposed merits bowler pride england player said miller batsman great likely later challenge feats australia champions past miller dash generous abandon charm miller enjoyed visit home cricket innings lord season scored runs centuries concluded miller hammond innings played cricket shot experts said longer landed high broadcasting box miller bounced seats forcing elderly members seek safety bar miller attitude playing field enchanted spectators favourite english public miller attributed fact sport trivial comparison war asked years later pressure cricket field miller responded famous quote pressure playing cricket season ended matches english counties miller struck low scoring win match comprised test level england players miller struck hour australians finished took innings victory miller time england ended losing note scored duck took australian services lost surrey wickets matches given class status miller score runs season finishing second averages success australian services team prompted foreign minister australia ask team stop india ceylon return australia play fundraising tour red_cross services tour india miller vice captain team missed trip india turning late voyage servicemen arrived bombay took day train journey play miller scored drawn match australians headed delhi miller missed tour match food poisoning led australians match bombay rested miller scored high scoring draw match india bombay stadium regarded unofficial tests miller took wickets innings second match ended high scoring draw miller unbeaten australia pursuit victory point team suffering australians long train journeys tried ask manager air travel rejected raaf personnel felt removed miller candidates replace likely miss upcoming tour new_zealand services captain leading candidates lead australia miller refused plot dispute ended squadron leader arranged raaf plane india transport team flight calcutta squad survived electrical storm caused plane drop altitude team scheduled play city deadly riots independence activists agitated british rule match went ahead day thousands invaded pitch play hour city people killed miller scored times dismissed bowl final day miller friend playing deployment british_army india nearing century team closed victory broke security presence invaded pitch leader ran said good player stop later years miller quote remark came matches featuring told ask saying australian controlled proceedings leader asked wouldn happen cigarette old boy play resumed brought century winning runs decided player player series ashes awarded recognising friendship rivalry second match india australians response india miller came hit balls falling said bowler match ended draw miller taking wicket injury team miller took match madras australians win indian soil difficult time bat falling twice duck failed bat final match india falling twice seven took innings india took series miller disappointing series international matches runs wickets australia final match ceylon team miller scored took australia won innings wanting wait month boat fortnight sea voyage australians returned perth ride pilot raaf plane promised friends lift stuck india months australian team sat floor aircraft australia despite suffering engine trouble plane services matches australia returning australia men informed military services play class matches state teams miller tired fixtures meant revive cricket following war lead international tour new_zealand march started campaign test selection servicemen arrived perth played match western_australia miller best batting performance season drawn match rested match south_australia adelaide oval ended draw miller finally returned home town january reunited family friends taking victoria miller scored innings military men fell innings defeat troubled spin miller servicemen difficult time new_south_wales opponents miller went miller faced biggest challenge australian conditions quest test selection went bat australian england victory tests witness ability miller played potential australian soil local australian opinion services played poorly australia achievements england poor opposition pitted bill reilly leg spinner regarded best bowler world emerging bowler express pace fastest australia miller accumulated slowly services services batsmen left man injured retired hurt reilly allowed twelfth man bat order miller chance making century miller attacked scored runs ending unbeaten minutes earned cricket australian soil leading test batsman opined australia unearthed new champion claiming finer saying batsmen watched ability blend beauty power reilly said miller century best hundreds got miller compiled second innings bowled reilly servicemen fell innings defeat miller finished season drawn match queensland pair fifties drawn match tasmania miller ended season runs wickets miller selected australia tour new_zealand test debut returning australia discharged raaf june
Military career of Keith Miller