Albert Edward 'Muff' Mills was born in Todmorden, Ontario in 1923 and raised in Humber Bay where he attended Mimico High School. During his last year of school, he was awarded two scholarships to attend the Ontario College of Art. Muff, as he was known to his friends, completed his art studies and then joined the RCAF in 1941. He trained as an airframe mechanic at St. Thomas, Ontario, and was posted to 14 Service Flying Training School at Aylmer, Ontario.

In 1943, LAC Mills was posted overseas to 428 Squadron where he painted nose art on Wellingtons, and later Halifax and Lancaster Bombers. During May 1945, he was transferred to 408 Squadron. His brother was also serving with the squadron, part of a bomber crew.

Muff painted 'C for Cuppa Tea' on three aircraft. During February 1943, he painted the nose art on a 428 Sqn Wellington at Dalton in Yorkshire and later on a Halifax. Then in January 1945, he painted it on 408 Sqn Lancaster 'C for Cecil' at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. Muff's brother was one of 'C for Cecil's aircrew.

Cecil was the hero of a comic strip throughout 1943 until the character died a day or so before the war ended. A well-loved member of the RAF's famous 'Great Coat Squadron', he reached the exalted rank of corporal and at one time was in charge of the GAS section on a Canadian Squadron. His girlfriend, Emma, was a WAAF. She was the daughter of a large Brylcreme (a British brand of hair styling products for men) manufacturer in Pontefract, Yorkshire. They intended to marry but Cecil's premature death stopped their plans. Emma, sad as it may seem, never made it onto the nose of a Halifax.

Muff's artwork was not confined to aircraft. He painted large wall mural art and did cartoon art on 'Airgraph' letters for other squadron members. Muff's cartoons were regularly featured in 'Wings Abroad', the RCAF's official, overseas newspaper. Muff also painted a large mural in the flight room of No. 4 hangar at the Linton-on-Ouse airbase. The mural depicted the mischievous antics of Canadian airmen at 'Fred's Pub'.

Leaving the RCAF in 1945, Muff worked in the art field, mostly in the Toronto area, where he was art director of McGaw-Jordan for thirty years. When Muff retired in 1985, he became the cartoonist for his hometown newspaper, The Cambridge Times. Muff had an outwardly crusty disposition that many people could not understand, but it was all put on, as that was the character behind the character. His cartoons brought laughter and some controversy to politics and life's problems. For that reason, he was always getting mail, which the paper loved.

In 1996, when Clarence heard that Muff was planning a visit to the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, he encouraged him to paint a replica of 'C for Cecil' for the museum on skin from Lancaster KB-994 (EQ-K) that flew with 408 Squadron.