The Miller Mystery

THE OVERLOOK

By Tom Clavin

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          Imagine one of America’s most popular music stars of today suddenly disappearing. That is what happened 78 years ago this week, when the bandleader Glenn Miller vanished.

          Miller was born in March 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa. After becoming an accomplished trombonist and working with other outfits, he formed his own big band. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra became one of the most popular and successful acts of the 20th century. It was the best-selling recording band from 1939 to 1942 and was also a touring band that played multiple radio broadcasts nearly every day.

Miller’s music “clings relentlessly to the collective memory,” jazz critic and author Gary Giddins wrote. “Miller exuded little warmth on or off the bandstand, but once the band struck up its theme, audiences were done for.”

Their best-selling records included Miller's iconic theme song, “Moonlight Serenade,” and the first gold record ever released, “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” Other hits were “In the Mood,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000,” and “Tuxedo Junction.” In just four years, Miller scored 16 number one records and 69 top 10 hits, which is more than Elvis Presley (40) and the Beatles (33) got in their careers. (Some of his wartime performances were recorded in the same Abbey Road studios later used by the Fab Four.) Miller is considered to be the father of the modern U.S. military bands . . . then he disappeared.

          In 1942, at the height of his fame, Miller volunteered to join the U.S. military to entertain troops during World War II, and he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces. With a full string section added, the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra was the forerunner of U.S. military bands that continue to entertain troops to the present day. Keep in mind that Miller, 38 years old in 1942 and in very high demand, could have easily avoided military service and stayed home selling war bonds, but he enlisted.

          In the second week of December 1944, Miller was based in England. However, the Allies had pushed the Germans east enough – knocking on the door of the Fatherland itself – that it was deemed safe for Miller and his musicians to relocate to liberated France, specifically Paris. The English weather had grounded scheduled flights, but Miller was in a hurry to get to Paris. An acquaintance, Lt. Col. Norman Baessell, had a plane and a pilot and was also in a hurry to get to France. He offered Miller a ride. Without authorization, Miller accepted.

The single-engine aircraft in which he was a passenger left an air base near Bedford, England, on December 15 about 1:45 p.m. Miller was accompanied by Baessell and the 22-year-old pilot was Flight Officer John Morgan. The latter had filed a flight plan but probably didn’t know he would have the famous Miller as a passenger. Miller, for his part, was a VIP who was supposed to stick to the military’s regularly scheduled passenger transports and keep the brass informed of his whereabouts.

The plane was never heard from again. A missing-aircraft report was filed for the plane on December 16 when it did not radio its arrival. But military officials did not know that Miller was aboard and considered the report routine. Plus, the report was eclipsed by the gigantic German attack the same day that began the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and eastern France.

It was only when Miller failed to meet his band in Paris a few days later that people realized he might be missing. “When Glenn wasn’t there to meet us, I knew something was wrong,” recalled Carmen Mastrin, a guitarist in Miller’s band, according to Geoffrey Butcher’s history of the band’s war years. “He had gone on ahead to make arrangements for us and I knew he would accomplish what he started to do.”

After one top U.S. staff officer was briefed, he exploded, “How the hell did we lose Glenn Miller!” It was a monumental embarrassment to the Army as well as a tragedy.

The War Department, after being informed that Miller was missing, investigated for six days and notified Miller’s wife on December 23. Helen, who had been his high school sweetheart in Iowa, was living in Tenafly, New Jersey.

An official announcement was issued on Christmas Eve and it made headlines in many Christmas Day newspapers and radio broadcasts. Miller was officially declared dead a year later. He joins Amelia Earhart as one of the most famous aviation mystery disappearances.

Tom Clavin is the bestselling author/co-author of 18 books, including the just-published The Last Hill, with Bob Drury. To purchase a copy, please go to your local bookstore or to Bookshop.org, Amazon.com, BN.com, or tomclavin.com.