Thomas Elmhirst
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst KBE
, CB
, AFC
, DL
, RAF
(15 December 1895 – 6 November 1982) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
in the first half of the 20th century and the first commander-in-chief of the newly independent Indian Air Force
where he organised the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi
following his assassination in 1948. He later became the Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Guernsey
from 1953 to 1958.
in 1913 and was posted to HMS Indomitable
in the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron
under David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
. When war came he served on HMS Indomitable as she took part in the initial bombardment of the Turkish Dardanelles
forts and the Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
where he commanded 'X Gun Turret', the last one to fire at the German ship before she sank. In 1915 he was selected to be in the first draft of the Royal Naval Air Service
where he served until the end of World War I. He celebrated the armistice by flying an airship (SSZ73) under the Menai Bridge
with his friend Gordon Campbell (VC) as his passenger. He then became part of the newly formed Royal Air Force
in 1919.
Between the wars he trialled the first gyroscopic compass for aircraft in the RAF and became Air attaché
to Turkey in the run up to World War II.
During World War II he ran the operations room at RAF Uxbridge
during the Battle of Britain
. He then commanded the Egypt Command Group under Air Marshal Tedder before becoming Second-in-Command of the Desert Air Force
. He continued in this role through the battle of Alamein until after the Allied invasion of Sicily
. He was then Second-in Command of British Air Forces in North West Europe until the end of the war, serving in D-Day
, Normandy
, the Ardennes
and the advance across the France and Germany.
After the war he was appointed as the Commander of the RAF in India. As independence approached Pandit Nehru asked him to be the first Commander-in-Chief
of the new Royal Indian Air Force upon its inception.
In 1953 he ran Operation Totem
, the first British nuclear bomb land tests in Emu Field
, Australia.
, where the family seat is Houndhill
. He was the 4th of eight boys and one youngest sister. His eldest brother William Elmhirst was killed on the Somme
and the third son Christopher Elmhirst was killed at Gallipoli
. One of his brothers (the 2nd son) Leonard Knight Elmhirst became a noted philanthropist and educational reformer.
He married firstly Katherine Gordon Black, daughter of William Black, on Tuesday 16 December 1930, and had a son, Roger and a daughter, Jane. Katherine died in 1965.
He married secondly Marian Ferguson
(née Montagu Douglas Scott), widow of Colonel Andrew Henry Ferguson, on Wednesday, 30 October 1968. Marian was the paternal grandmother of Sarah, Duchess of York
, and maternal great grandmother of HRH Princess Beatrice of York
and HRH Princess Eugenie of York
.
Thomas Elmhirst died at Dummer, Hampshire, on Saturday 6 November 1982, in his 87th year. He was survived by his second wife, Marian Elmhirst
(née Montagu Douglas Scott), and his children and grandchildren from his first marriage.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(15 December 1895 – 6 November 1982) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in the first half of the 20th century and the first commander-in-chief of the newly independent Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
where he organised the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
following his assassination in 1948. He later became the Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
from 1953 to 1958.
Military career
He was commissioned as a midshipman in the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1913 and was posted to HMS Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (1907)
HMS Indomitable was an of the British Royal Navy. She was built before World War I and had an active career during the war. She tried to hunt down the German ships Goeben and Breslau in the Mediterranean when war broke out and bombarded Turkish fortifications protecting the Dardanelles even...
in the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron
1st Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
The First Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War. It was created in 1909 as the First Cruiser Squadron and was renamed in 1913 to First Battle Cruiser Squadron. It participated in the battles of...
under David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
. When war came he served on HMS Indomitable as she took part in the initial bombardment of the Turkish Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
forts and the Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
where he commanded 'X Gun Turret', the last one to fire at the German ship before she sank. In 1915 he was selected to be in the first draft of the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
where he served until the end of World War I. He celebrated the armistice by flying an airship (SSZ73) under the Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
with his friend Gordon Campbell (VC) as his passenger. He then became part of the newly formed Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1919.
Between the wars he trialled the first gyroscopic compass for aircraft in the RAF and became Air attaché
Air attaché
An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of a diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer.An air attaché typically represents the chief of his home air force in the foreign country where he serves. The day-to-day responsibilities include maintaining contacts...
to Turkey in the run up to World War II.
During World War II he ran the operations room at RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. He then commanded the Egypt Command Group under Air Marshal Tedder before becoming Second-in-Command of the Desert Air Force
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force , also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, AHQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force , was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No...
. He continued in this role through the battle of Alamein until after the Allied invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. He was then Second-in Command of British Air Forces in North West Europe until the end of the war, serving in D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
and the advance across the France and Germany.
After the war he was appointed as the Commander of the RAF in India. As independence approached Pandit Nehru asked him to be the first Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the new Royal Indian Air Force upon its inception.
In 1953 he ran Operation Totem
Operation Totem
Operation Totem was a pair of British atmospheric nuclear tests which took place on 15th October 1953. The only ones conducted at a temporary site in Australia, Emu Field, they followed the Operation Hurricane test of the first British atomic bomb which had taken place at the Montebello Islands a...
, the first British nuclear bomb land tests in Emu Field
Emu Field
Emu Field is located in the desert of South Australia, at . Variously known as Emu Field, Emu Junction or Emu, it was the site of the Operation Totem pair of nuclear tests conducted by the British government in October 1953.The site was surveyed by Len Beadell in 1952...
, Australia.
Family
Thomas Elmhirst was born into a landed gentry family in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, where the family seat is Houndhill
Houndhill
Houndhill is a fortified manor house in Worsbrough, Barnsley, England dating from the Middle Ages. It was originally owned by the Elmhirst family who lived on the site from the 14th century. After several enhancements and ownership changes it is now back in the hands of the Elmhirst family as the...
. He was the 4th of eight boys and one youngest sister. His eldest brother William Elmhirst was killed on the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
and the third son Christopher Elmhirst was killed at Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
. One of his brothers (the 2nd son) Leonard Knight Elmhirst became a noted philanthropist and educational reformer.
He married firstly Katherine Gordon Black, daughter of William Black, on Tuesday 16 December 1930, and had a son, Roger and a daughter, Jane. Katherine died in 1965.
He married secondly Marian Ferguson
Marian Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott
Marian Louisa Elmhirst, Lady Elmhirst was the first daughter born to Lord Herbert Montagu Douglas Scott and Marie Edwards...
(née Montagu Douglas Scott), widow of Colonel Andrew Henry Ferguson, on Wednesday, 30 October 1968. Marian was the paternal grandmother of Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
, and maternal great grandmother of HRH Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
and HRH Princess Eugenie of York
Princess Eugenie of York
Princess Eugenie of York Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
.
Thomas Elmhirst died at Dummer, Hampshire, on Saturday 6 November 1982, in his 87th year. He was survived by his second wife, Marian Elmhirst
Marian Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott
Marian Louisa Elmhirst, Lady Elmhirst was the first daughter born to Lord Herbert Montagu Douglas Scott and Marie Edwards...
(née Montagu Douglas Scott), and his children and grandchildren from his first marriage.