Theodore Gordon Ellyson
Encyclopedia
Theodore Gordon Ellyson, USN (27 February 1885 - 27 February 1928), nicknamed "Spuds", was the first United States Navy
officer designated as an aviator
("Naval Aviator
No. 1"). Ellyson served in the experimental development of aviation in the years before and after World War I
. He also spent several years before the war as part of the Navy's new submarine
service. A recipient of the Navy Cross
for his aviation service in World War I
, Ellyson died in 1928 when his aircraft crashed over the Chesapeake Bay
.
, Ellyson entered the United States Naval Academy
in 1901 and graduated with the class of 1905. During the five years following his graduation, he served on USS Texas
and ; as Watch and Division Officer of USS Pennsylvania
and later USS Colorado
; and on USS West Virginia
, USS Rainbow, and USS Shark
on the Asiatic Station.
After his return to the United States in April 1910, he commanded the USS Tarantula
until November of that year, and then had duty in connection with fitting out the submarine USS Seal
at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. He commanded her briefly after her commissioning on 2 December 1910.
. While at an Aero Club show on 28 January 1911 near the flight school, Ellyson took off in a Curtiss “grass cutter” plane to become the first Naval aviator. With a blocked throttle, this ground plane was not supposed to fly, and Ellyson was not proficient enough to fly. He slewed off left, cracking up the plane somewhat by making a wing-first landing. However, Ellyson wasn’t injured and from then on he was considered to have made his first flight on this date. He also cooperated with Curtiss in the design of a pontoon
for aircraft and after Curtiss' first flight on 27 January 1911, Ellyson went up with Curtiss in February to become the first passenger to go aloft in a floatplane. Later that month, he participated in experiments demonstrating the potential use of floatplanes from ships, when the aircraft was hoisted onboard USS Pennsylvania
and subsequently lowered to the water for its return flight to North Island.
From the time Ellyson began instruction in aviation until 29 April 1913, he devoted all of his time to active flying and experimental work in aviation. This included the establishment of Naval Aviation Camps at Annapolis
in September 1911 when, with then-Lieutenant John H. Towers
, he flew an aircraft from Annapolis to Milford Haven, Virginia
, a non-stop distance record for float planes.
and . On 14 February 1918, he was detached for duty at the Submarine Chaser Base, New London, Connecticut
and in June arrived in London, England
for duty with a submarine chaser
squadron at U.S. Naval Base 27 at Plymouth. Ellyson was awarded the Navy Cross
for distinguished service in World War I
for his development of successful tactics for the submarine chaser squadron.
in 1918, he remained in the European Area, commanding Nucleus Crew 14 (zeppelin) from March to May 1919. Upon his return to the United States, he assisted in fitting out the destroyer USS J. Fred Talbott
at William Cramp and Sons, and served on that vessel as commanding officer from the time of her commissioning in June 1919 until July 1920. During the next five months he commanded the USS Little
and USS Brooks.
On 10 January 1921, he was ordered to Hampton Roads, Virginia to serve for eight months as Executive Officer of the Naval Air Station, Naval Operating Base. The Bureau of Aeronautics
was established in the Navy Department on 1 September 1921, and on 21 October, Commander Ellyson became Head of the Plans Division of that Bureau. He remained in that assignment until December 1922, when he became Aviation Member of the U.S. Naval Mission to Brazil, cooperating in the reorganization of the Brazilian Navy
. He returned to the Bureau of Aeronautics in May 1925.
On 20 July 1925, he assumed command of Torpedo Squadron 1 and from March to June 1926 was Executive Officer of USS Wright
, a seaplane tender. On 23 June 1926, he was ordered to duty in connection with the fitting out of USS Lexington
, the Navy's second aircraft carrier, and was on board when she was placed in commission.
Commander Ellyson was killed on 27 February 1928, his 43rd birthday, in the crash of an aircraft in the lower Chesapeake Bay
while on a night flight from Norfolk, Virginia, to Annapolis, Maryland. His body washed ashore and was recovered in April 1928. He was buried in the Naval Academy Cemetery, in Annapolis.
USS Ellyson
was named in his honor. The vessel was launched on 25 July 1941 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Kearny, New Jersey
and sponsored by the Commander's daughter, Miss Gordon Ellyson. The ship was commissioned on 28 November 1941 with Lieutenant Commander J.B. Rooney in command. In 1961, Ellyson was designated the recipient of the Gray Eagle Award
for the period 1911 to 1928, when he was the senior active Naval Aviator. In 1964, Ellyson was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer designated as an aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
("Naval Aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
No. 1"). Ellyson served in the experimental development of aviation in the years before and after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He also spent several years before the war as part of the Navy's new submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
service. A recipient of the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his aviation service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Ellyson died in 1928 when his aircraft crashed over the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
.
Early life and pre-aviation naval career
Born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Ellyson entered the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1901 and graduated with the class of 1905. During the five years following his graduation, he served on USS Texas
USS Texas (1892)
USS Texas was a second-class pre-dreadnought battleship built by the United States in the early 1890s. She was the first American battleship and the first ship named in honor of the state of Texas to be built by the United States...
and ; as Watch and Division Officer of USS Pennsylvania
USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4)
The second USS Pennsylvania , also referred to "Armored Cruiser No. 4", and later renamed Pittsburgh and numbered CA-4, was a United States Navy armored cruiser, the lead ship of her class....
and later USS Colorado
USS Colorado (1856)
The first USS Colorado — a -class, three-masted steam screw frigate — was launched on 19 June 1856 by the Norfolk Navy Yard. It was sponsored by Ms. N. S. Dornin, and commissioned on 13 March 1858, Captain W. H...
; and on USS West Virginia
USS West Virginia (ACR-5)
The first USS West Virginia , also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 5", and later renamed Huntington , was a United States Navy armored cruiser....
, USS Rainbow, and USS Shark
USS Shark (SS-8)
The third USS Shark was an early Plunger-class submarine in the service of the United States Navy, later renamed as A-7.Shark was laid down on 11 January 1901 at Elizabethport, New Jersey in the Crescent Shipyard under the direction of Crescent's superintendent, Arthur Leopold Busch...
on the Asiatic Station.
After his return to the United States in April 1910, he commanded the USS Tarantula
USS B-3 (SS-12)
USS B-3 was a B-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down by Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, under a subcontract from Electric Boat Company of then New Suffolk L. I., as Tarantula, making her the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for...
until November of that year, and then had duty in connection with fitting out the submarine USS Seal
USS G-1 (SS-19½)
USS G-1 was the lead ship of her class of submarine of the United States Navy. While the four G-boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to be four unique boats, each in a class by herself.-Construction history:G-1 was...
at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. He commanded her briefly after her commissioning on 2 December 1910.
Naval Aviator Number One
In December 1910, Ellyson was ordered to North Island, San Diego, California for instruction in aviation under Glenn CurtissGlenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
. While at an Aero Club show on 28 January 1911 near the flight school, Ellyson took off in a Curtiss “grass cutter” plane to become the first Naval aviator. With a blocked throttle, this ground plane was not supposed to fly, and Ellyson was not proficient enough to fly. He slewed off left, cracking up the plane somewhat by making a wing-first landing. However, Ellyson wasn’t injured and from then on he was considered to have made his first flight on this date. He also cooperated with Curtiss in the design of a pontoon
Pontoon (boat)
A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...
for aircraft and after Curtiss' first flight on 27 January 1911, Ellyson went up with Curtiss in February to become the first passenger to go aloft in a floatplane. Later that month, he participated in experiments demonstrating the potential use of floatplanes from ships, when the aircraft was hoisted onboard USS Pennsylvania
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)
USS Pennsylvania was a United States Navy super-dreadnought battleship. She was the third Navy ship named for the state of Pennsylvania....
and subsequently lowered to the water for its return flight to North Island.
From the time Ellyson began instruction in aviation until 29 April 1913, he devoted all of his time to active flying and experimental work in aviation. This included the establishment of Naval Aviation Camps at Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
in September 1911 when, with then-Lieutenant John H. Towers
John H. Towers
John Henry Towers was a United States Navy admiral and pioneer Naval aviator. He made important contributions to the technical and organizational development of Naval Aviation from its very beginnings, eventually serving as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics...
, he flew an aircraft from Annapolis to Milford Haven, Virginia
Milford, Virginia
Milford is an unincorporated community in Caroline County, in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is home to the Remuda Ranch, a residential treatment facility for eating disorders....
, a non-stop distance record for float planes.
World War I service
In 1917, he had duty at the Naval Academy and with the Midshipmen on cruise on USS WyomingUSS Wyoming (BB-32)
USS Wyoming , the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named Wyoming, although it was only the second named in honor of the 44th state....
and . On 14 February 1918, he was detached for duty at the Submarine Chaser Base, New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
and in June arrived in London, England
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for duty with a submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
squadron at U.S. Naval Base 27 at Plymouth. Ellyson was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for distinguished service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
for his development of successful tactics for the submarine chaser squadron.
Post-war service and death
Following the ArmisticeArmistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
in 1918, he remained in the European Area, commanding Nucleus Crew 14 (zeppelin) from March to May 1919. Upon his return to the United States, he assisted in fitting out the destroyer USS J. Fred Talbott
USS J. Fred Talbott (DD-156)
USS J. Fred Talbott , named for Joshua Frederick Cockey Talbott , Representative from Maryland Second District from 1879 to 1885, from 1893 to 1895 and again from 1903 to 1918, was a Wickes-class destroyer....
at William Cramp and Sons, and served on that vessel as commanding officer from the time of her commissioning in June 1919 until July 1920. During the next five months he commanded the USS Little
USS Little (DD-79)
USS Little , a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War I and World War II. She was the first Navy ship named for George Little ....
and USS Brooks.
On 10 January 1921, he was ordered to Hampton Roads, Virginia to serve for eight months as Executive Officer of the Naval Air Station, Naval Operating Base. The Bureau of Aeronautics
Bureau of Aeronautics
The Bureau of Aeronautics was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for Naval Aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" for the design, procurement, and support of Naval aircraft and related systems...
was established in the Navy Department on 1 September 1921, and on 21 October, Commander Ellyson became Head of the Plans Division of that Bureau. He remained in that assignment until December 1922, when he became Aviation Member of the U.S. Naval Mission to Brazil, cooperating in the reorganization of the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
. He returned to the Bureau of Aeronautics in May 1925.
On 20 July 1925, he assumed command of Torpedo Squadron 1 and from March to June 1926 was Executive Officer of USS Wright
USS Wright (AV-1)
USS Wright was a one-of-a-kind auxiliary ship in the United States Navy, named for aviation pioneer Orville Wright.-Construction and commissioning:...
, a seaplane tender. On 23 June 1926, he was ordered to duty in connection with the fitting out of USS Lexington
USS Lexington (CV-2)
USS Lexington , nicknamed the "Gray Lady" or "Lady Lex," was an early aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the , though her sister ship was commissioned a month earlier...
, the Navy's second aircraft carrier, and was on board when she was placed in commission.
Commander Ellyson was killed on 27 February 1928, his 43rd birthday, in the crash of an aircraft in the lower Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
while on a night flight from Norfolk, Virginia, to Annapolis, Maryland. His body washed ashore and was recovered in April 1928. He was buried in the Naval Academy Cemetery, in Annapolis.
Legacy
In 1941, the destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Ellyson
USS Ellyson (DD-454)
USS Ellyson , a , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Theodore Gordon Ellyson, a submariner who became the first officer of the U.S. Navy to be designated a naval aviator.-Initial operations:...
was named in his honor. The vessel was launched on 25 July 1941 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
and sponsored by the Commander's daughter, Miss Gordon Ellyson. The ship was commissioned on 28 November 1941 with Lieutenant Commander J.B. Rooney in command. In 1961, Ellyson was designated the recipient of the Gray Eagle Award
Gray Eagle Award
The Gray Eagle Award is presented to the Naval Aviator on continuous active duty in U.S. Navy or Marine Corps who has held that designation for the longest period of time....
for the period 1911 to 1928, when he was the senior active Naval Aviator. In 1964, Ellyson was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
External links
- Collections of Ellyson's papers
- Californians and the Military: Theodore Gordon Ellyson, Commander, U.S.N.: "Submariner" and "Naval Aviator Number One" - from the California Military Museum
- USS Ellyson (DD-454) - Dictionary of American Fighting Ships entry, from the Naval Historical Center
- Ellyson biography from the First Flight Society