The Lord Elworthy | |
|---|---|
 Charles Elworthy as a wing commander | |
| Born | (1911-03-23)23 March 1911 Timaru, New Zealand |
| Died | 4 April 1993(1993-04-04) (aged 82) Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Service years | 1933–1971 |
| Rank | Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
| Commands | Chief of the Defence Staff (1967–1971) Chief of the Air Staff (1963–1967) Middle East Command (Aden) (1960–1963) RAF Staff College, Bracknell (1957–1959) RAF Odiham (1953) RAF Tangmere (1951–1953) RAF Waddington (1943–1944) No. 82 Squadron (1940–1941) |
| Conflicts | Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Distinguished Service Order Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (3) |
| Other work | |
| Member of theHouse of Lords | |
| Life peerage 8 May 1972 – 4 April 1993 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Crossbencher |
Marshal of the Royal Air ForceSamuel Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy (23 March 1911 – 4 April 1993) was a New Zealand-born senior officer in theRoyal Air Force. He served as commander of a squadron ofBlenheim bombers and then as a station commander during theSecond World War. He becameChief of the Air Staff in the mid-1960s and implemented the cancellation of theTSR-2strike aircraft and theHS681military transport aircraft programmes. He also becameChief of the Defence Staff in which role he oversaw theevacuation from Aden in November 1967 and had to respond to the growingcrisis in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.
Elworthy was the son of Percy Ashton Elworthy and Bertha Victoria Elworthy (née Julius).[1] Elworthy was also a grandson ofEdward Elworthy. Educated atMarlborough College andTrinity College, Cambridge,[2] Charles Elworthy wascalled to the Bar atLincoln's Inn before he joined the Reserve of Air Force Officers as apilot officer on probation on 14 August 1933.[3] He was confirmed in the rank on 14 August 1934.[4]
Elworthy was granted a commission as apilot officer inNo. 600 (City of London) (Fighter) Squadron, part of theAuxiliary Air Force, where he flewHarts, with effect from 15 January 1935.[5] He became attached to theRoyal Air Force on 28 October 1935[6] and joinedNo.15 Squadron atRAF Abingdon, again flying Harts, with effect from the same date.[7] He was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force on 3 March 1936,[8] promoted toflying officer on 3 September 1936[9] and became Personal Assistant to Air Chief MarshalSir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief atRAF Bomber Command, in November 1937.[7] Promoted toflight lieutenant on 3 September 1938,[10] he was posted as a pilot and then a flight commander withNo. 108 Squadron atRAF Bassingbourn flyingBlenheim bombers in January 1939.[7]
Elworthy served in theSecond World War, initially in a training role with No. 108 Squadron and then, having been promoted to the temporary rank ofsquadron leader on 1 March 1940[11] (made permanent in April 1942)[12] he became Chief Flying Instructor with No. 13 Officer Training Unit in April 1940.[7] He was appointed a flight commander withNo. 82 Squadron flying Blenheims fromRAF Watton in August 1940 and then Officer Commanding No. 82 Squadron in December 1940.[7] He was awarded theAir Force Cross in the1941 New Year Honours on 1 January 1941[13] and theDistinguished Flying Cross on 7 March 1941.[14] In March 1941, despite heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire, he scored a direct hit on an enemy tanker, setting it on fire: he was appointed a Companion of theDistinguished Service Order for this on 22 April 1941.[15]
Elworthy joined the air staff responsible for operations at HeadquartersNo. 2 Group in May 1941,[7] was promoted to the rank ofwing commander on a temporary basis on 1 September 1941[16] andmentioned in despatches on 24 September 1941.[17] He transferred to the air staff responsible for operations at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in October 1941 and became Group Captain responsible for operations there in May 1942.[7] Promoted to wing commander on awar substantive basis on 9 November 1942,[18] he was mentioned in despatches again on 1 January 1943.[19] He became Station Commander atRAF Waddington in April 1943[7] and was mentioned in despatches yet again on 14 January 1944.[20] In April 1944 he was made Bomber Command's Representative to Air Chief MarshalSir Arthur Tedder, who was then serving as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander,Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.[7] He was, in this role, closely involved in the planning for operations to cut German rail communications.[21] He was made Senior Air Staff Officer atNo. 5 Group in August 1944:[7] in this role he was closely involved in the sinking of theTirpitz in November 1944.[21] He was promoted togroup captain on a war substantive basis on 22 February 1945.[22]
After the war, Elworthy joined the staff at the Central Bombing Establishment atRAF Marham.[7] He was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1946.[7] He became Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 2 (Indian) Group in March 1947 and the first commanding officer[23] of theRoyal Pakistan Air Force Station, Drigh Road (nowPAF Base Faisal) on 1 November 1947.[7] He attended theCombined Staff College from May 1949[7] and was promoted togroup captain on 1 July 1949.[24] He went on to be Deputy Director of Personnel at theAir Ministry in December 1949, Station Commander atRAF Tangmere in December 1951 and Station Commander atRAF Odiham in March 1953.[7] Appointed aLieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order on 16 July 1953[25] he became Commander of the Metropolitan Sector in December 1953.[7] Promoted toair commodore on 1 January 1956,[26] he attended theImperial Defence College in 1956 and became Commandant of theRAF Staff College, Bracknell, in January 1957.[7]
Promoted to acting air vice marshal on 1 January 1957[27] and to air vice marshal on a substantive basis on 1 July 1957,[28] Elworthy becameDeputy Chief of the Air Staff with the acting rank ofair marshal on 15 November 1959.[29] Appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath in the 1960New Year Honours[30] and promoted to air marshal on a substantive basis on 1 July 1960,[31] he becameCommander-in-ChiefBritish Forces Arabian Peninsular in August 1960.[7] Advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1961New Year Honours,[32] he became Commander-in-ChiefMiddle East Command (Aden), a newly formed unified command, in March 1961.[7] He was advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1962New Year Honours.[33]
Elworthy was madeChief of the Air Staff on 1 September 1963.[34] As Chief of the Air Staff, he worked closely withSecretary of StateDenis Healey implementing the cancellation of theTSR-2strike aircraft and theHS681military transport aircraft programmes.[35] He was promoted toMarshal of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1967[36] and becameChief of the Defence Staff on 4 August 1967.[37] In this role he oversaw theevacuation from Aden in November 1967 and had to respond to the growingcrisis in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.[35] He retired in April 1971.[7]
Elworthy was made alife peer asBaron Elworthy, of Timaru inNew Zealand and ofElworthy in the County ofSomerset, on 9 May 1972.[38] He was madeConstable and Governor of Windsor Castle on 13 April 1971[39] and becameLord Lieutenant of Greater London in 1973.[7] He was also Chairman of theRoyal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, of theKing Edward VII's Hospital for Officers and theRoyal Over-Seas League as well as a Governor ofBradfield College,Wellington College andMarlborough College.[7]
Elworthy was made aKnight Companion of the Order of the Garter on 23 April 1977.[40] He resigned from his various posts in 1978 and returned to his native New Zealand.[7] He was made aFreeman of the City of London and of theCity of Timaru.[41] Elworthy died atChristchurch in New Zealand on 4 April 1993.[1]
In 1936 Elworthy married Audrey Hutchinson; they had three sons and one daughter.[1] One of his sons isAir Commodore the HonSir Timothy Elworthy, a former Director of Royal Travel to the Queen.[42]
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| External images | |
|---|---|
 Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Elworthy | |
| Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Elworthy with Lieutenant-General Sir Michael Gray in Belfast in 1970 |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell 1957–1959 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Chief of the Air Staff 1959–1960 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Air Officer CommandingBritish Forces Arabian Peninsula 1960–1961 | Post disbanded |
| New title Joint command established | Commander-in-ChiefMiddle East Command (Aden) 1961–1963 | Unknown |
| Preceded by | Chief of the Air Staff 1963–1967 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of the Defence Staff 1967–1971 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle 1971–1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Greater London 1973–1978 | Succeeded by |
