Daniel Miller

Flag of Australia (1903-present)

2/5th Battalion (1942-1945)

67th Battalion (1945-1948)

Royal Australian Regiment (1948-1966)

34th Brigade (1945-1948)

27th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (1950-1951)

28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (1951-1954)

28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group (1957-1959, 1963-1965)

1st Australian Task Force (1966-1972)

- Greece and Crete 1941

- Syria and Lebanon 1941

- New Guinea 1942-1943, 1944-1945

Korean War

- North Korea 1950

- South Korea 1951-1953

Malaysian Emergency

- Malay Peninsula 1957-1959

Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation

- Malay Peninsula 1964-1965

- Borneo 1965

Vietnam War

- South Vietnam 1966-1971

Mentioned in Despatches (3)

**Daniel Joseph Miller**, DSO, MC (July 14, 1917 - August 7, 2004) was an Australian soldier and officer who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation and the Vietnam War.

## Early life and family

Miller was born in Queensland in 1917. He was of mixed British descent: English and Scottish on his father's side with English, Welsh, Irish, and Ulster Scots on his mother's. His paternal great-grandfather was one of the first free settlers to arrive at Moreton Bay in 1848.

Miller's father, local Liberal politician Richard Thomas Miller (1883-1967), had run for office unsuccessfully several times in the Queensland Assembly.

In 1928, Miller was sent to Sydney, New South Wales, to study at The King's School in North Parramatta. While a boarder, he excelled in the school's Cadet Corps and following his graduation joined the Militia.

## Military service

### World War II

In 1936, Miller was commissioned a lieutenant in the Militia, being posted to the NSW-based 55th Battalion. He would remain in the militia for three years.

In September 1939, following the declarations of war by the British Commonwealth states on Germany, Australia formed the 2nd Australian Imperial Force. Lieutenant Miller quickly volunteered, and joined the new 6th Division. In October, he was assigned to command a rifle platoon the 2/3rd Battalion of the 16th Brigade. After training in Australia, the Miller and the 6th Division left the country in January 1940 for service in the Middle East.

The division arrived in North Africa in February, and the Australians continued to train in Palestine for the rest of the year. In January 1941, the 6th Division was committed to the ongoing campaign in Libya against the Italian forces as a part of Operation Compass. The Australians' first mission was to take an important Italian stronghold in northern Libya. In the Battle of Bardia, Lieutenant Miller and his men broke throught the outer defenses of the outpost, pushing back the Italians and defeating an enemy counterattack. Miller's unit drove onwards, capturing the town and scores of Italian prisoners. The next objective was the port of Tobruk, which the 6th Division would attack later in the month. Miller and his men were again among the first to smash through the Italian defenses, after which they flanked the enemy forces and caused the surrender of the port shortly after. Temporarily attached to the 19th Brigade, Miller's unit pushed west towards Derna, where they attacked the Italians at Derna airfield, making slower progress against stiffening resistance. Eventually, Derna fell by the end of the month, and Miller and his men stayed in the area as the other Commonwealth forces continued the offensive. They later returned to Tobruk and rejoined the 16th Brigade. In March, the 6th Division departed Africa to join the Allied defenses in Greece.

Arriving in Greece, the 6th Division set up defenses in the south of the country. On April 6, 1941, the Germans invaded Greece in Operation Marita, beginning the Battle of Greece. Lieutenant Miller's men, along with the rest of the combined Australian/New Zealand/British/Greek force moved north to Veria to meet the invasion. In the Battle of Vevi, Miller and his men fought to hold the Klidi Pass against the German advance, but were vastly outnumbered and retreated to avoid destruction. Falling back, the Australians of the 6th Division met the Germans again in the Battle of Tempe Gorge. Miller and the rest of the Allied force stopped the Germans temporarily, halting the enemy's efforts to cross the Pinios River in a desperate delaying action. Losing the town of Tempe in the fight, the Allies retreated to a new line at Thermopylae. In the Battle of Thermopylae, the 6th Division held off German attacks for an entire day but were forced to fall back once more for good. With Greece all but lost to the Germans, Lieutenant Miller and his men retreated through Thebes and Athens to Kalamata, from which they set sail by the end of the month.

Miller's transport ship was sunk by German bombs en route to Egypt, but he and his men were rescued and taken to the island of Crete where they were to bolster the garrison there at Kalives on Suda Bay. Late in May, the Germans invaded, beginning the Battle of Crete. Brought up as reinforcements, Miller and his men fought to defend the Rethymno airfield against a massive airborne assault in the Battle of Rethymno. Despite the success of the Australian defense, they and their Greek allies were forced to withdraw back to Chania on the coast after being outflanked. Setting up a new line on the Hania to Tsikslaria road south of the town, Miller and his men participated in the Allied counterattack in the Battle of 42nd Street, routing the Germans and holding back the advance to make a withdrawal from the island possible. At the end of the month, Miller's men were evacuated from the island and began the journey back to Egypt.

Reaching North Africa in June, Miller and his unit were reintegrated into the 2/3rd Battalion in Palestine. There, they prepared for their next mission, the invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon. Operation Exporter was already ongoing, and the battalion was committed as reinforcement to the 7th Division. Lieutenant Miller and his men fought in the Battle of Damascus in late June 1941, first attacking the French positions to cut the Beirut road around Mezze. After driving the French from their forts in the area, Miller's men fought back a French counterattack at Barada Gorge, prompting the Damascus garrison to surrender. An attack on the French-controlled high ground at Jebel Mazar was unsuccessful, although the Australians continued their attack along the coast. In July, the division broke into Lebanon, and Miller's unit was committed to the Battle of Damour, where they moved north through El Boum and outflanked the French positions. Continuing towards Beirut, an armistice between the Vichy French and the Allied forces ended the campaign as the Allies gained control over Syria and Lebanon. For the rest of the year, Miller's men remained in Syria on occupation duty.

In January 1942, the entry of Japan into the larger war and the possibility of an invasion of Australia meant that significant forces would be withdrawn from the Mediterranean to counter the Japanese threat. The 6th Division left Palestine and embarked for Australia shortly after. Mid-way through the voyage, Miller's men and several other Australian units were sent instead to the island of Ceylon to defend it from a potential Japanese attack. In Ceylon, they set up defenses around Horana and underwent jungle warfare training. Here, Miller was promoted to captain and given command of his rifle company. When the invasion did not come, the 16th Brigade was returned to Australia in August 1942.

The fighting in New Guinea had been ongoing for some time. Having halted the Japanese advance, the 16th Brigade was sent in to make a counterattack along the Kokoda Track. Captain Miller and his men joined the Australian forces at Imita Ridge, which had been the last line of defense before Port Moresby. With the Japanese now in retreat, the brigade began its advance in October, moving towards Menari and arriving at Templeton's Crossing later in the month. In the Second Battle of Eora Creek-Templeton's Crossing, the Australians confronted the Japanese defenses on the high ground on the Eora River, with Miller leading his men first in patrols, and later in a frontal attack to relieve pinned-down friendly forces. The attack caught the Japanese in a state of withdrawal, and Miller's men routed them and secured their objectives. The advance continued with minimal enemy resistance as the brigade moved through Missima and Kokoda and over the Owen Stanley mountains on their way to the Kumusi River. Meeting the Japanese again in the Battle of Oivi-Gorari in November, Captain Miller's unit engaged the defenders in a fixing operation, launching an assault and fighting off a counterattack, as other Australian forces outflanked and defeated the Japanese. Crossing the Kumusi, the 16th Brigade began its drive to the coast as it advanced towards Sanananda. At the junction of the Sananada and Cape Killerton trails, the brigade met a Japanese attack in the Battle of Buna-Gona. Miller led a counterattack which pushed back the Japanese, but the cost of this battle as well as the previous months of campaigning meant that the brigade was so depleted that it was no longer an effective fighting force. After some limited patrols, the 16th Brigade was relieved to Poppondetta and later to Port Moresby in December 1942. Instead of returning to Australia with the rest of the brigade, however, Captain Miller stayed in Port Moresby for a new transfer.

In January 1943, the 17th Brigade arrived in Port Moresby. Captain Miller was assigned to command one of the companies in the 2/5th Battalion, which had lost its commanding officer to disease while in Milne Bay. Miller and his men were dispatched to Wau to defend the area from a Japanese attack. In the Battle of Wau, the Australians were subject to infantry attacks and aircraft bombings but held strong as they defended the airlanding zone. In February, they went on the offensive, attacking the Japanese positions on the Bulolo River southwest of Wau. After patrolling around Mubo, the 17th Brigade began to advance towards Salamaua. In March, Miller's unit occupied Guadagasal Ridge. In the Battle of Mubo, the Australians fought several battles with the Japanese around Observation Hill in April and March. In July, Miller and his men fought the Japanese around Komiatum and Goodview Junction. In the Battle of Mount Tambu, Miller's unit attacked the Japanese positions on and around the mountain. Having secured their preliminary objectives, they were subject to a massive enemy counterattack, which Miller's men defeated through several days of hard fighting. A second attack secured Mount Tambu permanently, after which the exhausted unit was relieved. Captain Miller's men were sent to Nassau Bay in August, and in September 1943 the 17th Brigade was returned to Australia to be retrained and refitted.

The 6th Division was reunited on the Atherton Tablelands in northeren Queensland in 1943. Here, the division took part in training exercises and was gradually reorganized. Throughout most of 1944 Captain Miller's men were held in reserve here as Australian presence in the Pacific generally declined. However, in November, the 6th Division was given another mission and departed Australia to return to New Guinea.

The plan was to use the Australian troops to clear the rest of the island as other Allied forces fought the Japanese elsewhere. In November 1944, the 6th Division landed at Aitape in New Guinea. After consolidating at Tadji, Miller's men engaged in patrols before pushing along the the Sepik River inland from the Torricelli Range. They advanced on Perimbul and Balif in January 1945, fighting against stubborn Japanese defenses. Finally, in April, Maprik fell to Captain Miller's unit, and they were able to link back up with the 17th Brigade. When the Japanese fell back to Kiarivu, the Australians pursued them through the Prince Alexander mountain range. Around Mount Irup inland from the coast, Miller led constant attacks on the Japanese, capturing Kiarivu. In mid August, operations were suspended. On September 2, 1945, the Empire of Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.

### Occupation of Japan

While the rest of the 6th Division was being disbanded, in October 1945 Miller requested a transfer for service in Japan. He travelled to the island of Morotai in the Dutch East Indies and was posted to the newly created 67th Battalion of the 34th Brigade. The brigade arrived in Japan in February 1946, and immediately began occupation duties in Hiroshima Prefecture. Captain Miller's unit was headquartered at Kaitaichi, where they were used as security throughout the area, as well as at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Throughout 1947, the British Commonwealth forces in Japan were gradually downsized until by 1948 the 67th Battalion was the only Australian force in the country. In November, the battalion was redesignated the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. In early 1950, the battalion was set to return to Australia, when war broke out on the Korean peninsula.

### Korean War

When the North Korean Army invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, 3 RAR was the only Australian unit stationed in Asia ready to meet the Communist invasion. Captain Miller's men were hurriedly called up and, after a period of retraining, sent to Korea in September. On the peninsula, the Australians joined the 27th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade in Pusan. The North Korean offensive had been broken, and the United Nations forces rapidly began to counterattack to drive the Communist forces north of the partition line.

Deploying to the north to take part in the UN attack, the Australians were airlifted north of Seoul and quickly assembled for offensive operations. In October, the 27th Brigade crossed the Imjin River, and fought the Battle of Sariwon, where Captain Miller's men killed and captured many of the retreating North Koreans. They took the lead later in the month at the Battle of Yongju, where they pushed the North Koreans back over the Taedong River and destroyed a significant Communist force. The 27th Brigade's objective was Pakchon, which they advanced towards after crossing the Chongchon River. Held up by resistance at the Taeryong River, Captain Miller led his company across under fire and established a bridgehead while stopping North Korean counterattacks in the Battle of Kujin. At the Battle of Chongju some days later, the Australians attacked the North Koreans on a nearby ridgeline, securing the positions and holding against a counterattack by the enemy.

Though the UN offensive into North Korea had so far been a success, it became clear that the Allies faced a greater threat when the armed forces of the People's Republic of China entered the war on the North Korean side. In November, the 27th Brigade was ordered to pull back to Pakchon and establish defensive positions. As the Chinese forces approached the Allied positions, 3 RAR was ordered to counterattack. Miller's men took a heavily defended hill and held it against Chinese and North Korean attacks until they were forced to withdraw, after which they reestablished defenses north of Maenjung-dong, having succeeded in preventing the UN flank from being destroyed in the costly Battle of Pakchon. The brigade retreated farther into South Korea in December 1950, taking its place in a UN defensive line protecting the South Korean capital of Seoul. The British-Australian force's responsibility was the Uijeongbu Valley, which was attacked by Chinese forces in January 1951. At the Battle of Uijeongbu, part of the larger Third Battle of Seoul, Miller's company was almost cut off at Tokchon, but they were able to retreat in time. Called up to the front again some days later, 3 RAR made a desperate rearguard action, holding off the Chinese while Allied forces withdrew. As some of the last UN forces to retreat after the fall of Seoul, Miller's men crossed over the Han river and established positions at Yoda-nae.

By February 1951, the Chinese army was closing in on Wonju. Several American units had been driven back and cut off, and the critical Route 24 was open to the enemy. The 27th Brigade was ordered in to close the gap, and Miller led his company in an attack which pushed through the Chinese on the road in the Battle of Chuam-ni. 3 RAR later took part in the UN counteroffensive known as Operation Killer, as well as the follow-up attacks in Operation Ripper. During this offensive, the brigade fought the Battle of Maehwa-san in March, where Captain Miller and his Australian forces stormed Hill 410 against fierce enemy resistance as well as Hills 326 and 432. Miller also led the attack on Hill 435 and the village of Chisan during the fight. With the hills around Maehwasan Mountain secure, the 27th Brigade was placed in reserve at Chipyong-ni harbor. The Commonwealth troops made minor gains in Operation Rugged and Operation Dauntless in April, helping to advance the UN line.

In late April, the Chinese Spring Offensive was underway and Seoul was again threatened. The 27th Brigade was ordered to hold the line in the Kapyong Valley in order to prevent a Chinese breakthrough. 3 RAR was ordered to advance, and Captain Miller's men established temporary positions. Suddenly, the South Korean forces to the Australians' front broke and the battalion was heavily engaged in the Battle of Kapyong. Heavily outnumbered, the Australians held back the Chinese advance for three days until the enemy retreated. The Chinese offensive was ground to a halt and destroyed by the Allied forces not long after. The 27th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade left Korea the same month and was replaced by the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade. The 1st Commonwealth Division was formed in July, uniting the various British Commonwealth forces in Korea under one command.

Operation Minden began in September 1951, and 3 RAR was back in the fight. The Australians crossed the Imjin River with the rest of the 28th Brigade against little resistance, after which they guarded the bridgehead and allowed the other Commonwealth forces to advance ahead of them. By the beginning of October, a new UN offensive, codenamed Operation Commando, had begun. The objective for the Australians and their British allies were a group of hills near the Imjin River. During the First Battle of Maryang-san, Captain Miller led the attack on Hill 317, capturing it from the Chinese after intense fighting and facing a massive counterattack for two days, during which the Australians ran out of ammunition and resorted to hand-to-hand combat but nevertheless held onto the position. Completely exhausted, 3 RAR was allowed a period of rest out of the line. In November, the Maryang-san was taken by the Chinese and never recaptured.

By the end of 1951, the war of movement had ended. Both the UN and Communist forces dug in on a stable line which divided the Korean peninsula in half. This line would be contested for the duration of the war. Captain Miller and the rest of 3 RAR held the eastern flank of the 1st Division's defenses, occupying a line of trenches in the hills northeast of the Imjin River. From here, the battalion would have a period of duty in the front lines, be sent into reserve, and sent to the front again in a process that would repeat itself until the end of the war. 3 RAR went into the line in January 1952 and was relieved in April, returning to the front in June before leaving again in October. The defenses on the opposing line were strong, and the intense battles which had characterized the earlier parts of the war were happening with much less frequency. Miller's men mounted aggressive patrols against the Chinese forces in their sector, but did not engage with large-scale forces as they had done before. Very little else occurred on the Commonwealth part of the front. In December 1952, 3 RAR took up the defense of Hill 355, which they occupied until the 1st Division was pulled out of the line in January 1953. Returning in April, 3 RAR again held Hill 355 throughout May and Hill 159 from June to July. With peace talks at Panmunjom making headway, the Communist Chinese forces were determined to make a last push to strengthen their negotiating position. In the Battle of the Samichon River, Miller's company was not attacked directly but leant support to the other Commonwealth and American forces holding the line against the Chinese attacks. By the end of the month, the offensive had been ground to a halt and the Armistice Agreement and subsequent ceasefire on July 27, 1953 put an end to the last of the fighting. 3 RAR would not leave Korea for over a year after the war's end, finally departing in September 1954 after four years of service overseas.

### Malayan Emergency

After returning from Korea, Captain Miller and the rest of 3 RAR were stationed in NSW, Australia. In 1957, the battalion was called up for duty in Malaysia, where a Communist insurgency had been ongoing since 1948. In January, Miller was promoted to major and assigned to 3 RAR's battalion headquarters.

In October 1957, 3 RAR as part of the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group, arrived in Malaysia to assist local forces in combatting Malayan National Liberation Army terrorists. After a period of jungle warfare training, Major Miller was posted to the Australian camp at Kuala Kangsar before anti-terrorist operations began in November. The Australians began to sweep vast areas of northern Malaysia, killing MNLA terrorists and destroying their food and ammunition stockpiles. Major Miller took part in many of these operations, until mid 1959, when 3 RAR was relieved by a sister battalion and sent back to Australia. The MNLA guerrilla forces had been practically wiped out by this time, and the state of emergency was ended by the Malaysian government in July 1960.

### In reserve

Back in Australia, Daniel Miller would spend the years from 1959 to 1963 in his home in Sydney, New South Wales. He considered retirement, and fully intended to leave the service in 1963. However, with the conflict between Indonesia and Malaysia clearly escalating and 3 RAR preparing to ship out for Malaysia, Miller asked to rejoin his old unit.

### Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation

In the summer of 1964, Indonesian President Sukarno ordered infiltrations of the Malaysian border with the intention of creating a base for a Communist revolution. Though the Malaysian government requested Australia to send forces to Borneo, Australia refused and would only send troops to protect Malaysia against Indonesian incursion. By 1964, 3 RAR was encamped in Malacca in the southern part of the Malay peninsula, ready to defend the Malaysian border.

In September, a force of Indonesian airborne troops infiltrated the state of Jahore. Landing at Labis, they were quickly dispersed by Commonwealth troops, being either killed or rounded up in the weeks that followed. Major Miller and 3 RAR were called out to assist, but did not experience any contacts during the operation. In late October, a seaborne force infiltrated across the Strait of Malacca and landed at the mouth of the Kesang River. The Australians were tipped off about the infiltration, and began to sweep the area, killing or capturing the most of the Indonesians. Though the operation was a success for the Commonwealth, it caused significant tension between Australia and Indonesia. The incursions, moreover, made it seem that an escalation to the conflict was imminent.

Australia finally acquiesced to Malaysia's request and dispatched 3 RAR to the island of Borneo in March 1965. Based in Sarawak, the Malaysian-controlled northern part of the island, the Australians prepared to hold their ground. However, British policy had shifted away from the defensive, and Commonwealth forces were to make their own incursions across the border as a part of Operation Claret. The first of these was to take place late in May, as an Australian force led by Major Miller crossed over into Kalimantan via the Sungei Koemba River and prepared an ambush. They opened fire on a boat patrol, routing the Indonesians in the Battle of Sungei Koemba. Miller either led or accompanied several more cross-border patrols in the coming months. These operations were highly successful, inflicting many Indonesian casualties and disrupting their own attack plans. By August, 3 RAR was relieved from Borneo and returned to Malaysia. In October, they returned to Australia, having done their part to blunt the Indonesian incursions.

### Vietnam War

Australia's contribution to the American-led counterinsurgency campaign in Vietnam had already begun in 1965, with the deployment of a battalion to the country in May. In early 1966, the commitment was increased, and the 1st Australian Task Force was created to coordinate Australian operations. Major Miller, who was again considering retirement, was requested specifically to join the organization, and he agreed, arriving in country in March, taking part in Operation Hardihood, which secured the area around Nui Dat for 1 ATF's base of operations.

Based in Phuoc Tuy Province, the 1 ATF was to coordinate operations against the Communist Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese allies. Miller's first action was during the Battle of Long Tan in August, where he joined the relief force which rescued an Australian company, besieged in a rubber plantation from an overwhelming Viet Cong assault. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Australians routed the Communists, and in doing so disrupted the guerrillas' control over the region. The victory had cemented Allied dominance in the area, and the Australians would not be attacked again for some time. For most of the rest of the year, Miller remained in the Australian headquarters in Nui Dat, occasionally joining patrols to the surrounding area. These operations proved very effective in the restoration of South Vietnamese government authority to the province.

In February 1967, Major Miller joined Operation Bribie, a search-and-destroy operation meant to engage and eliminate a Viet Cong force at Ap My An. However, instead of retreating as usual, the Communists held their ground and the Australians were forced to launch multiple assaults, which resulted in many losses. After making two failed counterattacks on the Australian positions, the Viet Cong withdrew from the area. With the inconclusive results of the operation, the Australians lost much of the initiative and did not engage in many other operations until Operation Santa Fe, which was to trap a large Viet Cong force in the May Tao Secret Zone. However, after Miller and the Australians blocked off the area, it was clear that the Communists had already evacuated with their forces intact.

The Communist forces in South Vietnam began the Tet Offensive in January 1968 with attacks on population centers all around the country. With the capital of Saigon threatened with attack, 1 ATF was rapidly deployed into Bien Hoa Province and began Operation Coburg. The Australians made several reconnaisance patrols which resulted in heavy contact with Viet Cong forces. Miller took part in many successful actions against the Communists, and helped with the construction of bases and outposts in the area. In March, the Australians returned to Nui Dat, having failed to stop the attacks on Saigon but succeeding everywhere else. In May, 1 ATF was committed to Operation Toan Thang I, a multinational counteroffensive to pursue Communist forces around the capital. Part of the operation was the construction of two new firebases in Binh Duong Province, Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral. Major Miller was posted to FSB Coral, and helped with the base's construction. However, the defenses were not fully completed when the base came under a massive North Vietnamese attack, beginning the Battle of Coral-Balmoral. Miller led the defense of his section as the Australians repulsed the North Vietnamese in hard fighting. A second attack later in the month was also defeated. Miller took part in a counterattack which eliminated an NVA bunker system at the same time as FSB Balmoral repulsed another assault. In June, 1 ATF returned to Nui Dat, having successfully blocked another Communist attack on the capital.

Operation Goodwood, begun in December 1968, was intended to sweep the Hat Dich area of Viet Cong and NVA forces. The Australians inserted into their new area of operations and began patrolling the countryside. Major Miller, based at FSB Julia during this operation, took part in many patrols of the surrounding areas, occasionally coming in contact with Viet Cong forces. The operation continued into the new year, and the Australians saw increased fighting in the area in February 1969, known as the Battle of Hat Dich. After declaring the area clear of Communist forces, 1 ATF again rapidly deployed as a part of Operation Federal to establish defensive positions in anticipation of the upcoming Tet 69 Offensive. However, the Australians were not attacked at all and operations were limited to patrols. At this time, Major Miller was suffering from complications suffered from an injury received in Hat Dich, and coupled with his increasing age, he was considered no longer fit for combat duty, and 1 ATF insisted he stay on base for the remainder of the conflict. He was promoted to Colonel during this time as well.

By 1970, It was clear that the Australian contribution to the war in Vietnam was not having its desired effect, and a withdrawl was planned, to be completed in the following years. The Allied forces in the country were suffering many setbacks as the Communist position strengthened. Colonel Miller helped coordinate the withdrawl of the 1st Australian Task Force and other Australian units throughout 1970 as well as 1971. In December 1971, Colonel Miller departed Vietnam with the majority of 1 ATF, having perfomed well but ultimately failing in their objective to stop a Communist takeover of the country. The last Australian forces left the country in March 1972, and on April 30, 1975, South Vietnam fell to the Communists.

### Return to Australia and retirement

Colonel Daniel Miller returned to Australia via Sydney in 1971, returned home, and immediately began laying out retirement plans. On March 19, 1972, Colonel Miller retired from the Australian Army after a distinguished 37-year military career, including service in five different armed conflicts against ten different enemies. He had established a reputation as an effective infantry commander, proficient at both conventional and counter-guerrilla warfare. A small retirement ceremony was held for him in Sydney by many of the men he had fought with.

## Later life

Daniel Miller moved out of Sydney in 1973 and bought a small, modest house in Elizabeth, a northern suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. In 1979, he maried Jo-Anne Ellen Ferry, a widowed next-door neighbor whom he had begun a relationship with in 1974. The two mostly stayed at home in Elizabeth and rarely travelled outside of southern Australia. Though they were not a very outwardly social couple, their house was always open to Australian servicemen. Miller was also a member of the Returned and Services League of Australia from 1975 onwards.

In 1985, Miller published the book *Duty First: Australian Guerilla Warfare*, which focused on the history of Australian forces in anti-insurgent warfare from the Second Boer War to the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, and the Vietnam War. In 2003, shortly before his death, Miller updated the book with chapters on East Timor and the then-recent conflict in Afghanistan.

On August 7, 2004, Daniel Joseph Miller passed away in his home of natural causes at the age of 87. He was given an Anglican burial in West Terrace Cemetery in the city of Adelaide, attended by many of the army comrades he served with.

### Views

Daniel Miller did not often speak on politics in his later life, reflecting the nature of his duty as a soldier. Nevertheless, he remained a supporter of the Liberal Party and voted in every election until his death, having been a devotee of Robert Menzies.

Miller, raised and baptized Anglican, remained a member of the Church of England in Australia throughout his life.

## Equipment

During the campaigns in North Africa, Greece, and New Guinea in World War II, Miller used the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III bolt-action rifle, Australia's service rifle, as his primary weapon, with its No.4 Mk.II bayonet and No.4 grenade adaptor. He carried an Enfield No.2 Mk I\* revolver as well as the Mills Bomb M36 fragmentation grenade. He also used these weapons in the Korean War.

In Malaysia, Borneo, and Vietnam, Miller carried an L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, an L9A1 Browning Hi-Power pistol, and the M26 grenade fragmentation grenade.

## References

1. ↑ Mentioned in despatches for this action.
2. ↑ Distinguished Service Order recieved for this action.
3. ↑ Military Cross recieved for this action.
4. ↑ Bar to Military Cross received for this action
5. ↑ Bar to Distinguished Service Order received for this action