William Elliot (RAF officer)

Sir William Elliot
William Elliott as Air Officer Commanding RAF Gibraltar during the Second World War
Born	3 June 1896
Died	27 June 1971
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1915–1954
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	No. 501 Squadron RAF Middle Wallop RAF Gibraltar Balkan Air Force RAF Fighter Command
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar

Air Chief Marshal Sir William Elliott, GCVO, KCB, KBE, DFC & Bar, ADC (3 June 1896 – 27 June 1971) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

RAF career

Air Vice-Marshal W Elliot, the former Air Officer Commanding the Balkan Air Force (left), gives the latest information regarding Balkan operations to his successor, Air Vice-Marshal G H Mills (right) at BAF Headquarters, Bari, Italy, 1945

Educated at Tonbridge School, Elliott joined the Army Service Corps in 1915 and then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 501 Squadron in 1932 before becoming Assistant Secretary to Committee of Imperial Defence in 1937 and being made Assistant Secretary of the War Cabinet Secretariat in 1939. He served in World War II as Officer Commanding RAF Middle Wallop and as a member of the Air Staff responsible for Night Defences at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command in 1941 and then as Director of Plans at the Air Ministry in 1942. He continued has war service as Air Officer Commanding RAF Gibraltar and then as Air Officer Commanding the RAF's Balkan Air Force during 1944 until he was made Assistant Chief Executive at the Ministry of Aircraft Production in March 1945.

After the War he served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) and then became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Fighter Command in 1947. He went on to be Chief Staff Officer to the Minister of Defence in 1949 and Chairman of the British Joint Services Mission to Washington D. C. and UK Representative on the NATO Standing Group in 1951 before he retired in 1954.

Family

In 1931 he married Rosemary Chancellor, daughter of Sir John Chancellor, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO: they had one son Simon and a daughter Lutie. Simon married Annabel, daughter of Bruce Shand and sister of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Honours and awards

• Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order - 1 June 1953
• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath - 7 Jun 1951 (CB - 1 January 1944)
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 1 January 1946 (CBE -1 January 1942)
• Distinguished Flying Cross - 8 February 1919, Bar - 1 April 1920
• Air Aide-de-Camp to the King - 1951-1954
• Order of St Vladimir, 4th Class, with Sword and Bow (Russia)
• Order of St George, 4th Class (Russia)
• Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) - 9 October 1945
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) - 6 September 1946