Edward Ellington

Edward Leonard Ellington
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Ellington
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1897–1940
Rank	Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Commander of the Order of the British Empire Mention in Despatches (4)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Leonard Ellington GCB, CMG, CBE (30 December 1877 – 13 June 1967) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1933 to 1937, then as Inspector General of the RAF until his retirement in 1940.

Early career

After attending the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, Ellington was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery on 1 September 1897. He learned to fly in 1912 and was awarded Royal Aero Club certificate No. 305 on 1 October 1912.

World War I

When the First World War started, Ellington was under training at the Central Flying School. A few months later, 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. In early 1915 he was granted a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel and posted as the Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the 2nd Cavalry Division.

From July 1915 onwards, Ellington served as a staff officer first with the 2nd Army, then with the Department of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff and on the General Staff of the VIII Corps after that. In November 1917 he was made the Deputy Director-General of Military Aeronautics under John Salmond at the War Office. When Salmond's time as director came to an end, Ellington succeeded him as Director-General.

In April 1918 Ellington transferred to the Royal Air Force on its creation, with the temporary rank of brigadier-general. However only days later he was promoted to major-general (again temporarily) and appointed Acting Controller-General of Equipment. He became substantive in the post in August 1918.

Inter-war years

Ellington was Air Officer Commanding RAF Middle East from 1922 to 1923, Air Officer Commanding RAF India from 1923 to 1926 and Air Officer Commanding RAF Iraq from 1926 to 1928. He became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Defence of Great Britain in February 1929 and was promoted Air Marshal in July that year. The Air Member for Personnel from September 1931, he was promoted Air Chief Marshal on 1 January 1933.

In May 1933 Ellington was appointed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). He succeeded Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond, who was acting in the role following the sudden death of his brother Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, who had become CAS in April. Ellington was promoted Marshal of the Royal Air Force on 1 January 1937.

Following completion of his term as CAS in August 1937, Ellington became Inspector-General of the RAF. 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 criticized the RAAF's operational capability and safety standards. 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. 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.

Ellington retired shortly after the start of World War II, on 4 April 1940, and died on 13 June 1967.

References

• Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Marshal of the RAF Sir Edward Ellington
• Weston, Air Vice Marshal Brian (2003). "The Australian Aviation Industry - History and Achievements Guiding Defence and Aviation Policy" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Probert, H. (1991). High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-772635-4