land the plane with the bomb still attached. Miller's next mission was delayed by poor weather, by which time Germany had surrendered. His commanding officer ordered him to fly air force personnel over Germany to view the results of Allied bombing. On one flight, Miller broke away from the flying formation and returned to base late because he wanted to fly over Bonn, the birthplace of Beethoven. Miller's wartime exploits were to give him a greater sense of perspective when he returned to the sports field. When asked many years later by Michael Parkinson, about pressure in cricket, Miller responded: "Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not". Victory Tests The end of the war prompted the belated start of the 1945 cricket season. Miller returned to Lord's and scored 50 for the RAAF against a British Empire XI. Warner had organised a celebratory series of matches between England and Australian servicemen, known as the Victory Tests. Australian cricket administrators did not accredit the three-day matches as Tests. England was close to full strength, so the Second Australian Imperial Force and the RAAF teams merged to form the Australian Services cricket team under the leadership of Warrant Officer Hassett. The First Victory Test was at Lord's and was expected to usher in a new post-war era, which cricket watchers hoped would be more attractive to watch. England batted first and Miller bowled his Great Massingham colleague Bill Edrich to end with 1/11 and precipitate an English collapse. Miller came to the crease at and helped Australia take the lead, before cutting loose, eventually finishing with 105 in 210 minutes. The Times opined that his innings was "as good a century as has been seen at Lord's in many a long day". Australia went on to win by six wickets. Miller warmed up for the Second Victory Test by top-scoring for the RAAF against Lancashire and the RAF. In the Test, played at Bramall Lane, Miller went wicketless and scored 17 in the first innings. In the second innings, Miller bowled a fierce spell, hitting Test world record holder Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook on the arm and head respectively, provoking an angry crowd reaction. At the time, Miller had a leisurely attitude towards bowling, so his success led to calls for him to start taking it seriously, instead of simply jogging in and releasing the ball. Despite