Edward ("Ted") Sydney Ellis

Born 1914 Luton, England 

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Service No. 1292427

The rare and particularly fine Second World War ‘1944’ D.F.C., ‘Battle of Berlin’ immediate C.G.M. group of six awarded to Lancaster pilot, Warrant Officer, later Flight Lieutenant, E. S. Ellis, 625 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who flew in at least 36 operational sorties - 9 of which were to Berlin - ‘the Big City’ - and back.

Ellis’s press-on regardless attitude was illustrated during his C.G.M raid, 2/3 December 1943, when despite taking a new crew on their first raid; being hit by anti-aircraft fire which put his rear gunner out of action; also being attacked by an enemy fighter when his Lancaster was raked ‘from stem to stern’ and his mid upper gunner wounded - Ellis continued his bombing run and then flew his wrecked aircraft home to effect a successful crash landing, after having been hit again by Flak just before crossing the Dutch coast!

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1944’, mounted on investiture pin, in Royal Mint case of issue; Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying), G.VI.R. (Act. W/O. E. S. Ellis. R.A.F.) mounted on investiture pin; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, campaign awards in named card box of issue addressed to ‘F/L. E. S. Ellis, 263 Marsh Road, Luton, Beds’, nearly extremely fine (6)

1 of only 7 D.F.C., C.G.M. (Flying) combinations awarded.

D.F.C. London Gazette 6 June 1944:

‘Since the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal this officer has continued to set a magnificent example of gallantry and skill to the pilots of his unit. In February, 1943, while attacking Leipzig one engine in his aircraft failed. Despite this handicap, Flight Lieutenant Ellis continued his flight and completed the sortie on three engines. He has proved himself an extremely able and courageous pilot and captain of aircraft.’

C.G.M. London Gazette 24 December 1943:

‘One night in December, 1943, Warrant Officer Ellis was the pilot of an aircraft detailed to attack Berlin. During the initial bombing run the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire, which injured the rear gunner and rendered his turret unserviceable. Warrant Officer Ellis maintained a steady run, however, and made his first attack. Just as the first bombs had been released the aircraft was raked by bullets from a fighter and the rear gunner sustained a further injury; the mid-upper gunner was also wounded. Although the enemy delivered another long burst of fire, Warrant Officer Ellis continued his run and attacked the target exactly as planned. On leaving the target area it was discovered that much damage had been sustained. The inter-communication and hydraulic systems and the turrets were all unserviceable. The mainplane and the fuselage had been damaged, while the bomb doors could not be closed. In spite of this, Warrant Officer Ellis flew on and eventually landed his aircraft safely without the aid of flaps and in spite of punctured tyres. In harassing circumstances, this pilot displayed skill, courage and devotion to duty beyond praise.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1946.

Edward Sydney Ellis was born in Luton in May 1914, studied at the British Institute of Engineering Technology, London and was employed by Vauxhall Motors. Ellis attested for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in October 1940. He was mobilised in April 1941 and carried out initial training in the UK prior to be posted for pilot training in the United States of America in March 1942. Ellis had postings to Turner Field, Georgia and Gunter Field, Alabama throughout 1942, returning to the UK at the end of the year. He carried out further training at No. 15 F.T.S., Carlisle and No. 6 (P) A.F.U., Little Rissington, prior to being posted to No. 30 O.T.U., Seighford, Staffordshire in May 1943. After a brief stint with No. 1656 C.U., Ellis was posted for operational flying as a pilot to 12 Squadron (Lancasters) at Wickenby in September 1943. He flew in at least 9 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Hanover (3); Mannheim; Bochum; Hagen; Munich; Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

Ellis, having advanced to Warrant Officer, was posted to the newly formed 625 Squadron (Lancasters) at Kelstern in October 1943. He flew in at least 19 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Leipzig (2); Kassel; Modane; Berlin (9 - all during the Battle of Berlin, including the first raid of the Battle on 18/19 November); Stettin; Brunswick; Magdeburg; Schwinefurt; Augsburg and Stuttgart.

Ellis, crewed with Sergeants Gallop, Rawlings, Rawston, Bound, Jones, Wightman and Flight Sergeant Moylan, was awarded the C.G.M. for his gallantry during the raid on Berlin, 2/3 December 1943. The latter being one of the nine times that he went to Berlin and back during the Battle of Berlin, November 1943 - March 1944 (out of the 16 Bomber Command raids to ‘the Big City’ for that period). The following additional details are added in Bombers Over Berlin by A. W. Cooper:

‘The Fifth Raid. The onslaught on Berlin continued into December. On the night of 2/3rd December, 440 Lancasters, fifteen Halifaxes of 35 Squadron and eighteen Mosquitos of 139 Squadron were detailed.... During the initial bombing run, Warrant Officer Edward Ellis of 625 Squadron, who was initiating a new crew on their their first operation, had his aircraft hit in the rear turret, wounding the gunner, Sergeant D. Wightman, and knocking out his turret. The bomb run was continued, and bombs released in a long stick on target, but as they went down a fighter attacked from below, raking the aircraft from stem to stern. The rear gunner was wounded again as well as the mid-upper, Sergeant W. Jones. Still Ellis carried on the run, the delay between the HEs and the incendiary bombs being carefully timed as briefed, despite another pass by the fighter. Only then did Ellis take evasive action.

After leaving the target the crew took stock of the damage. The intercom was not working, the bomb doors would not close, the gun turrets were U/S and the mainplane and fuselage damaged. The hydraulics were U/S and, as they discovered later, the main wheel tyres were punctured. The oxygen began to run short so height was lost on the return journey. Just before crossing the Dutch coast the aircraft was again hit by flak. As fuel was also running low a landing was made at R.A.F. Bardney, using the emergency method of lowering the undercarriage. Without flaps and with flat tyres, the aircraft nosed over on landing then tipped back again. The crew were uninjured in the landing, but both wounded gunners were taken off to hospital. For his actions and cool courage, Ellis received the C.G.M. - Conspicuous Gallantry Medal - the rarest award in the R.A.F. for operational flying.’

The ‘press-on regardless’ attitude of Ellis was illustrated a number of times over his service career, and stood him and his crew in good stead throughout the Battle of Berlin. On their next raid to Berlin, 16/17 December 1943, they crashed landed again upon their return to base. Ellis was commissioned, and had his gallantry recognised once again - this time as a consequence of flying during the raid on Leipzig, 19/20 February 1944. Alan Cooper in his more recently published book, Bravery Awards For Aerial Combat, Stories Behind The Award of the C.G.M. (Flying), gives additional details about both the flight to Berlin and Leipzig:

‘Berlin raid number five came on 2/3rd December. Warrant Officer Edward Sydney Ellis, born in Luton in 1914, was flying with 625 Squadron on this night. He took off in Lancaster DV362 from Kelstern in Lincolnshire, and bombed Berlin at 8.22pm from 20,000 feet. On the bomb run they were hit by flak and the rear gunner, Sergeant Wightman, was wounded. The run was continued and as the bombs tumbled down, a fighter attacked from below, raking the aircraft from stem to stern.

Once again Wightman was hit and the mid-upper, Sergeant Jones, was also wounded. Still on the bomb run, Ellis kept straight, continuing the delay between dropping their high explosive bombs and their incendiaries, which had to be carefully timed. Only after the latter had been dropped did Ellis take evasive action to lose the fighter. The intercom was then found to be U/S and the bomb doors would not close, so the hydraulics too must have been damaged. As they were to discover later, the main wheel tyres had been punctured in the fighter attack.

They were also short of oxygen so Ellis reduced height to 12,000 feet but when crossing out over the Dutch coast, the aircraft was hit again by flak, and the engineer reported that they were losing fuel. Reaching England, Ellis selected an airfield about twenty miles from base, as the fuel state was fast becoming critical. Using the emergency pump to get the wheels down, Ellis came in without flaps and with flat tyres. As it touched down, the Lancaster nosed forward but tipped back again and nobody was injured. They had landed at R.A.F. Bardney, the home of 9 Squadron. Both gunners were taken to hospital where they recovered.

Ellis was recommended for the C.G.M. on the 5th and was later commissioned. After thirty-six operations and now a flight lieutenant, Ellis received the D.F.C. In the recommendation for this second award, mention was made of an attack on Leipzig on 19 February 1944. He lost an engine while still some distance from the target but in true tradition, carried on, bombed and returned home on three engines. During his tour, which spanned the Battle of Berlin, Edward Ellis flew on eight [sic] of the sixteen attacks on the city.’

It is worth putting into context what was occurring during the lead-in to the raid, and what Ellis and his crew decided to face with one engine down:

‘This was an unhappy raid for Bomber Command. The German controllers only sent part of their force of fighters to the Kiel minelaying diversion. When the main bomber force crossed the Dutch coast, they were met by a further part of the German fighter force and those German fighters which had been sent north to Kiel hurriedly returned. The bomber stream was thus under attack all the way to the target. There were further difficulties at the target because winds were not as forecast and many aircraft reached the Leipzig area too early and had to orbit and await the Pathfinders. 4 aircraft were lost by collision and 20 were shot down by Flak.... Total effort for the night: 79 aircraft (8.6 percent) lost. This was the heaviest Bomber Command loss of the war so far....’ (The Bomber Command War Diaries, An Operational Reference Book, 1939-1945 by M. Middlebrook and C. Everitt refers)

Ellis was posted for instructional duties to No. 1667 C.U., Sandtoft in April 1944. He saw out the remainder of the war with the unit, prior to being posted to No. 1660 H.C.U., Swinderby in November 1945. Flight Lieutenant Ellis was released from service in April 1946.

Sold with the following contemporary and related items and documents: R.A.F. Sweetheart Brooch, 9ct. gold; M.I.D. Certificate, dated 1 January 1946; Commission appointing recipient as Pilot Officer in the R.A.F.V.R., dated 28 December 1943; 2 R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Books (5 January 1942 - 29 September 1943 and 1 October 1943 - 4 February 1946); R.A.F. Service and Release Book; R.A.F. Airman’s Service and Pay Book; R.A.F. Airman’s Pay Book; named Investiture invitation, dated 1 October 1945; Pilot’s and Flight Engineer’s Notes, Lancaster; small scrap book compiled by recipient including letter of congratulation to recipient on the occasion of the award of his C.G.M. from Air Vice Marshal E. A. B. Rice, C.B.E., M.C, dated 13 November 1943; hard-bound presentation copy of The Historical and Pictorial Review, Gunter Field, Southeast Army Air Forces Training Centre of the United States Army Air Forces, signed by recipient and others; named United States Army, Army Air Forces, Pilot Training Diploma, Turner Field, Georgia, dated 10 November 1942; named Certificate for Instrument Flying for the “Blind Flight”, Southeast Army Forces Training Center Turner Field, Georgia, dated 10 November 1942; a copy of Gunter Field, Alabama, Army Air Forces Basic Flying School, ‘Reveille’, with a number of signatures in ink; 2 letters of congratulation to the recipient on the occasion of the award of his D.F.C. from Vauxhall Motors Ltd, dated 8 and 9 June 1944; with a number of photographs of recipient in uniform; newspaper cuttings and other ephemer 

To be completed