William Elliott

Air Chief Marshal Sir William Elliot, (3 June 1896 – 27 June 1971) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career Educated at Tonbridge School in the United Kingdom, Elliot joined the Army Service Corps in 1915 and then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. On 30 July 1919 Elliot, then a captain, crashed behind enemy lines while fighting the Bolshevik forces during the North Russia Intervention. Another plane crewed by Lt John Mitchell and Captain Walter Anderson landed and picked up Elliot and flew him and his observer back to the base. 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 the Second World War 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.