Marshal of the Royal Air Force Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF) is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force (RAF). In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff (CAS), who were ...

Samuel Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy, (23 March 1911 – 4 April 1993) was a senior officer in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. He served as commander of a squadron of Blenheim bombers and then as a station commander during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He became Chief of the Air Staff in the mid-1960s and implemented the cancellation of the

TSR-2 The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 is a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The TSR-2 was designed ...

strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

aircraft and the HS681

military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to maintaining supply ...

programmes. He also became Chief of the Defence Staff in which role he oversaw the evacuation from Aden in November 1967 and had to respond to the growing crisis in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.

RAF career

Elworthy was the son of Percy Ashton Elworthy and Bertha Victoria Elworthy (née Julius). Elworthy was also a grandson of Edward Elworthy. Educated at Marlborough College and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

,Probert, p. 60 Charles Elworthy was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn before he joined the Reserve of Air Force Officers as a pilot officer on probation on 14 August 1933. He was confirmed in the rank on 14 August 1934. Elworthy was granted a commission as a pilot officer in No. 600 (City of London) (Fighter) Squadron, part of the

Auxiliary Air Force The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), formerly the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), together with the Air Force Reserve, is a component of His Majesty's Reserve Air Forces (Reserve Forces Act 1996, Part 1, Para 1,(2),(c)). It provides a primary rein ...

, where he flew

Harts Harts may refer to: * Harts (surname) * Harts (musician), Melbourne indie musician * Harts, West Virginia, United States * Harts Stores, a regional general merchandise chain in the midwestern United States * Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting S ...

, with effect from 15 January 1935. He became attached to the

on 28 October 1935 and joined No.15 Squadron at

RAF Abingdon Royal Air Force Abingdon or more simply RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps. History The airfield was opened in 1932, initially as ...

, again flying Harts, with effect from the same date. He was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force on 3 March 1936, promoted to flying officer on 3 September 1936 and became Personal Assistant to Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Bomber Command, in November 1937. Promoted to flight lieutenant on 3 September 1938, he was posted as a pilot and then a flight commander with No. 108 Squadron at

RAF Bassingbourn Royal Air Force Bassingbourn or more simply RAF Bassingbourn is a former Royal Air Force station located in Cambridgeshire approximately north of Royston, Hertfordshire and south west of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. During the Second ...

flying Blenheim bombers in January 1939. RAFBristolBlenheimWWIIColour

Elworthy served in the

, initially in a training role with No. 108 Squadron and then, having been promoted to the temporary rank of

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...

on 1 March 1940 (made permanent in April 1942) he became Chief Flying Instructor with No. 13 Officer Training Unit in April 1940. He was appointed a flight commander with No. 82 Squadron flying Blenheims from

RAF Watton Royal Air Force Watton or more simply RAF Watton is a former Royal Air Force station located southwest of East Dereham, Norfolk, England. Opened in 1937 it was used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) d ...

in August 1940 and then Officer Commanding No. 82 Squadron in December 1940. He was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1941 New Year Honours on 1 January 1941 and the Distinguished Flying Cross on 7 March 1941. 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 awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

for this on 22 April 1941. Elworthy joined the air staff responsible for operations at Headquarters

No. 2 Group No. 2 Group is a Group (military aviation unit)#United Kingdom, group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was react ...

in May 1941, was promoted to the rank of

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

on a temporary basis on 1 September 1941 and mentioned in despatches on 24 September 1941. 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. Promoted to wing commander on a war substantive basis on 9 November 1942, he was mentioned in despatches again on 1 January 1943. He became Station Commander at

RAF Waddington Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target ...

in April 1943 and was mentioned in despatches yet again on 14 January 1944. In April 1944 he was made Bomber Command's Representative to Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, who was then serving as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. He was, in this role, closely involved in the planning for operations to cut German rail communications.Probert, p. 61 He was made Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 5 Group in August 1944: in this role he was closely involved in the sinking of the Tirpitz in November 1944. He was promoted to group captain on a war substantive basis on 22 February 1945. After the war, Elworthy joined the staff at the Central Bombing Establishment at RAF Marham. He was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

on 1 January 1946. He became Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 2 (Indian) Group in March 1947 and the first commanding officer of the

Royal Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

Station, Drigh Road (now

PAF Base Faisal Pakistan Air Force Base Faisal ( ur, ), founded as RAF Drigh Road, now called Shahrah-e-Faisal. This air force base is located at Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. In 1975, it was named after the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the site of PA ...

) on 1 November 1947. He attended the Combined Staff College from May 1949 and was promoted to group captain on 1 July 1949. He went on to be Deputy Director of Personnel at the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

in December 1949, Station Commander at

RAF Tangmere RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, and one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The famous Second World War aces Wing Commander Douglas Bader, a ...

in December 1951 and Station Commander at

RAF Odiham RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook, and of the King’s Helicopter Flight (TKHF) . ...

in March 1953. Appointed a

Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

on 16 July 1953 he became Commander of the Metropolitan Sector in December 1953. Promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1956, he attended the

Imperial Defence College The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...

in 1956 and became Commandant of the

RAF Staff College, Bracknell The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air Force staff college active for most of the second half of the 20th century. Its role was the training of staff officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of air force matters. ...

, in January 1957. Promoted to acting air vice marshal on 1 January 1957 and to air vice marshal on a substantive basis on 1 July 1957, Elworthy became

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) may refer to: * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Australia) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (India) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Pakistan) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom) The Deputy Chief ...

with the acting rank of air marshal on 15 November 1959. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1960

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

and promoted to air marshal on a substantive basis on 1 July 1960, he became Commander-in-Chief British Forces Arabian Peninsular in August 1960. Advanced to

Knight Commander of the 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 medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as o ...

in the 1961

, he became Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command (Aden), a newly formed unified command, in March 1961. He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1962

. Elworthy was made Chief of the Air Staff on 1 September 1963. As Chief of the Air Staff, he worked closely with Secretary of State Denis Healey implementing the cancellation of the

aircraft and the HS681

programmes.Probert, p. 63 He was promoted to

on 1 April 1967 and became Chief of the Defence Staff on 4 August 1967. In this role he oversaw the evacuation from Aden in November 1967 and had to respond to the growing crisis in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s. He retired in April 1971.

Later life

Elworthy was made a life peer as Baron Elworthy, of Timaru in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and of Elworthy in the County of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, on 9 May 1972. He was made

Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle The Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle is in charge of Windsor Castle in England on behalf of the sovereign. The day-to-day operations are under the Superintendent, who is an officer of the Master of the Household's Department of the Roy ...

on 13 April 1971 and became

Lord Lieutenant of Greater London The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London is the personal representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Greater London. Each Lord-Lieutenant is assisted in, largely ceremonial, duties by Deputy Lieutenants whom he appoints; the Lie ...

in 1973. He was also Chairman of the

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 is an institution founded in 1850 to administer the international exhibition of 1851, officially called the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations. The Great Exhibition was held ...

, of the

King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers King Edward VII's Hospital (formal name: King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes) is a private hospital located on Beaumont Street in the Marylebone district of central London. Agnes Keyser, later known as Sister Agnes, established the hospi ...

and the

Royal Over-Seas League The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is a not-for-profit members' organisation with international headquarters in its clubhouse in central London, England. Founded by Sir Evelyn Wrench in 1910 as the Over-Seas Club, it was given a Royal Charter ...

as well as a Governor of

Bradfield College Bradfield College, formally St Andrew's College, Bradfield, is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils aged 11–18, located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is note ...

Wellington College Wellington College may refer to: *Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England ** Wellington College International Shanghai ** Wellington College International Tianjin * Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...

and Marlborough College. Elworthy was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter on 23 April 1977. He resigned from his various posts in 1978 and returned to his native New Zealand. He was made a

Freeman of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...

and of the City of Timaru. Elworthy died at

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

in New Zealand on 4 April 1993.

Family

In 1936 Elworthy married Audrey Hutchinson; they had three sons and one daughter. One of his sons is Air Commodore the Hon Sir Timothy Elworthy, a former Director of Royal Travel to the Queen.

Coat of arms

References

Sources

* , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Elworthy, Charles Elworthy, Baron 1911 births 1993 deaths New Zealand military personnel People from Timaru Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Chiefs of the Air Staff (United Kingdom) Chiefs of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom) New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath New Zealand Knights of the Garter Knights of the Order of St John New Zealand Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order New Zealand recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Crossbench life peers Lord-Lieutenants of Greater London Marshals of the Royal Air Force New Zealand recipients of a British peerage People educated at Marlborough College Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Stewards of Henley Royal Regatta Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies Life peers created by Elizabeth II Julius family Charles