Edward Ellington

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the British RAF officer. For the British hydraulic engineer, see Edward B. Ellington. For the American jazz musician, see Duke Ellington.

Mentioned in Despatches (4)
Knight of the Legion of Honour (France)
Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd Class
(Russia)

First World War as a staff officer and then as director-general of military aeronautics and subsequently as controller-general of equipment. In the inter-war years he held command positions in the Middle East, in India and then in Iraq. He served as Chief of the Air Staff in the mid-1930s and in that role he implemented a plan, known as 'Scheme F'. This scheme implemented an increase in the size of the Royal Air Force to 187 squadrons (five bomber squadrons for every two fighter squadrons, reflecting the dominance of the bomber strategy at the time) within three years to counter the threat from Hitler's Germany. He also broke up the command known as "Air Defence of Great Britain" to create RAF Fighter Command, RAF Bomber Command, RAF Coastal Command and RAF Training Command. He then served as Inspector-General of the RAF
until his retirement in 1940.

Early career

Born the son of

staff officer there on 9 August 1910.[8] He learned to fly in 1912 and was awarded Royal Aero Club certificate No. 305 on 1 October 1912.[9] He went on to be secretary to the Air Committee in November 1912 and a staff officer in the Directorate of Military Aeronautics in May 1913[10] and was then transferred to the Reserve of the Royal Flying Corps on 17 December 1913.[11]

First World War

When the

First World War started, Ellington was under training at the Central Flying School.[12] On 5 October 1914, he was sent, not to a flying post but to be the Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General at the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force in France.[13] On 6 March 1915 he was granted a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel[14] and posted as the assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general of the 2nd Cavalry Division.[12]

Ellington then served as a staff officer, from 22 July 1915 with the

major general and appointed acting Controller-General of Equipment in April 1918,[12] becoming substantive in that post in August 1918.[12]

Ellington was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 3 June 1916[19] and awarded the Russian Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd Class on 1 June 1917.[20] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath for services during the war on 1 January 1919.[21]

Inter-war years

Ellington as the Director-General of Aircraft Production and Research.

Ellington's role was re-designated as

Air Aide-de-Camp to the King on 27 February 1930[27] and became Air Member for Personnel on 26 September 1931,[28] receiving promotion to air chief marshal on 1 January 1933.[29]

Ellington was appointed

coronation of George VI in May 1937.[36]

Following completion of his term as Chief of the Air Staff, Ellington became Inspector-General of the RAF on 1 September 1937.[37] It was in his capacity as inspector-general that in 1938 Ellington visited Australia to investigate standards in the Royal Australian Air Force. His report strongly criticised the RAAF's operational capability and safety standards.[38] Following the publication of the report in July 1938, the Australian Government dismissed Air Vice Marshal Richard Williams from his post as RAAF Chief of the Air Staff.[39] In July 1939 Ellington was augmented in his post as inspector-general by Air Marshal Sir Charles Burnett, who would become the RAAF's Chief of the Air Staff in 1940.[39][40]

Ellington retired on 4 April 1940, shortly after the start of the

Second World War.[12] He attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953[41] and died on 13 June 1967 from coronary thrombosis at Scio House Hospital in London.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. ref no 4490: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948
  2. ^
    doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/67138. Retrieved 1 August 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  3. ^ "Air Ministry Announcements – January 7, 1937". Flight Global. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  4. ^ "No. 26887". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 August 1897. p. 4876.
  5. ^ "No. 27235". The London Gazette. 5 October 1900. p. 6121.
  6. ^ "No. 27684". The London Gazette. 10 June 1904. p. 3710.
  7. ^ "No. 28283". The London Gazette. 27 August 1909. p. 6530.
  8. ^ "No. 28407". The London Gazette. 16 August 1910. p. 5947.
  9. ^ "Aviators' Certificates". Flight International. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  10. ^ "No. 28721". The London Gazette. 23 May 1913. p. 3669.
  11. ^ "No. 28793". The London Gazette. 16 January 1914. p. 417.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Ellington". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  13. ^ "No. 28976". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 November 1914. p. 9375.
  14. ^ "No. 29113". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 March 1915. p. 2984.
  15. ^ "No. 29267". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 August 1915. p. 8244.
  16. ^ "No. 30022". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 April 1917. p. 3601.
  17. ^ "No. 30411". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 February 1918. p. 12645.
  18. ^ "No. 30549". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 February 1918. p. 2592.
  19. ^ "No. 29608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1916. p. 5561.
  20. ^ "No. 30108". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1917. p. 5434.
  21. ^ "No. 31098". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1918. p. 91.
  22. ^ a b c Probert, p. 12
  23. ^ "No. 31378". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 May 1919. p. 7026.
  24. ^ "No. 31486". The London Gazette. 1 August 1919. p. 9864.
  25. ^ "No. 31931". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1920. p. 6316.
  26. ^ "No. 33513". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 1929. p. 4365.
  27. ^ "No. 33587". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 March 1930. p. 1579.
  28. ^ "No. 33757". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 September 1931. p. 6239.
  29. ^ "No. 33898". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1932. p. 16.
  30. ^ "No. 33942". The London Gazette. 23 May 1933. p. 3457.
  31. ^ Probert, p. 13
  32. ^ Probert, p. 14
  33. ^ "No. 34166". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1935. p. 3595.
  34. ^ "No. 34279". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 April 1936. p. 2770.
  35. ^ "No. 34356". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1937. p. 17.
  36. ^ "No. 34453". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 November 1937. p. 7035.
  37. ^ "No. 34432". The London Gazette. 3 September 1937. p. 5561.
  38. ^ "2003 History Conference – Air War Europe: The Empire Air Training Scheme". Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  39. ^ a b Weston, pp. 11–12
  40. ^ "No. 34641". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 June 1939. p. 4452.
  41. ^ "No. 40020". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1953. p. 6229.

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edward Leonard Ellington.
Military offices
Preceded by Deputy Director-General of Military Aeronautics
November 1917 – January 1918 		Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by Director-General of Military Aeronautics
18 January 1918 – c. April 1918 		Post disestablished
Preceded by
Sefton Brancker
 RAF
Controller-General of Equipment

Acting Controller-General of Equipment from 10 April 1918
Post renamed Director-General of Aircraft Production and Research in February 1919
Post renamed Director-General of Supply and Research on 1 April 1919
22 August 1918 – 23 February 1922 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Air Officer Commanding Middle East Area
AOC Middle East Command
from 1 April 1922
1922–1923 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Air Officer Commanding RAF India

1923–1926 		Succeeded by
Sir Geoffrey Salmond
Preceded by
Sir John Higgins
 Air Officer Commanding Iraq Command
1926–1928 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief Air Defence of Great Britain
1929–1931 		Succeeded by
Sir Geoffrey Salmond
Preceded by Air Member for Personnel
1931–1933 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Air Staff
1933–1937 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Inspector-General of the RAF
1937–1939 		Succeeded by
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