Elliott White Springs (July 31, 1896 – October 15, 1959), was a

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

businessman and an American

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, credited with shooting down 16 enemy aircraft.

Early life

Springs was born to Col. Leroy Springs and Grace Allison White Springs. His father was a noted South Carolina

textiles Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

manufacturer. Springs attended

Culver Military Academy Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culver Milita ...

, and then

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

World War I service

left, Lt. Elliott Springs in front of his wrecked Sopwith Camel in September 1918. Springs enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

in the autumn of 1917. He was sent to England to train with the oyal Flying Corps and was selected by the Canadian flying ace

Billy Bishop Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, and a ...

to fly the

S.E.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the ...

with 85 Squadron over

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. After claiming three destroyed and one 'out of control' with 85 Squadron, Springs was shot down on 27 June 1918 by Lt. Josef Raesch of ''Jasta'' 43. After recovering from wounds received, he was reassigned to the U.S. Air Service's

148th Aero Squadron The 148th Aero Squadron was a unit of the United States Army United States Army Air Service, Air Service that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I. As a day pursuit (fighter) squadron, its mission was to e ...

, flying the

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...

On 3 August 1918, while escorting Airco DH.9 bombers, Springs shot down three

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

scouts in flames. On 22 August 1918 he attacked five Fokker DVIIs, shooting down one into a wood near Velu. He sent another enemy aircraft 'out of control'. On 22 August 1918 he engaged three Fokker DVIIs, and Springs claimed two shot down, with one 'out of control'. By 24 September 1918 Springs had claimed 10 victories destroyed, 2 shared destroyed and 4 driven down 'out of control'. He had shared three wins with such squadron mates as Lieutenants

Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...

and

Orville Ralston Lieutenant Orville Alfred Ralston (September 9, 1894 – December 30, 1942) was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He returned to service for World War II, only to die in a B-17 crash. Ralston joined the United States ...

. Also about this time, Springs rose to command the 148th as it and the

17th Aero Squadron The 17th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I. As a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron. its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to ...

joined the

4th Pursuit Group The 4th Pursuit Group was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I as part of the Air Service, Second United States Army. It was demobilized in France on 15 April 1919. There is no modern United ...

. In 1927, Springs published ''War Birds: Diary of an unknown aviator'', based on the diary of his friend,

John McGavock Grider John McGavock Grider (May 28, 1893 - June 18, 1918) was a fighter pilot during World War I and one of the famous American ''war birds'' who trained in England. He is credited with downing four enemy aircraft This was at the beginning of American a ...

, and his own diaries and letters of the time.

Return to civilian life

Upon his return to the United States, Springs wrote numerous books, short stories, and articles. Many of these were about his experiences in combat aviation. The most notable of these was ''Warbirds: The Diary of an Unknown Aviator'', which was found later to be the diary of

a friend and comrade of his who did not survive the war. He was also known for carousing, habits he picked up overseas in the War. He toured speakeasies, drank heavily, chased women, and hosted all-night parties. He regularly visited friends "with a five-gallon jug and a strange woman." He also did some

barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...

after his return. On November 11, 1953, he appeared on an episode of '' I've Got a Secret.''

Management of Springs Cotton Mills

Springs' profligate life changed in 1931 when his father died and he took over running the family textile firm. Though the firm was heavily mortgaged, Springs saved the company while, among other things, slashing his own salary. Springs even put a loom in his basement to try out new ideas. Because of his actions, the family firm made it through the Great Depression which saw many of his competitors close.

Return to service

In 1941, Springs returned to his nation's service in the

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

Later years and death

Springs continued to run Springs Cotton Mills until shortly before his death. He died of pancreatic cancer. His home, known as the William Elliott White House, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1987.

References

Bibliography

* Davis, Burke. ''War Bird: The Life and Times of Elliott White Springs''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. * ''Letters from a War Bird: The World War I Correspondence of Elliott White Springs''. Edited by David K. Vaughan. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2012.

External links

*
South Carolina Business Hall of Fame profile

White Homestead and Store - Fort Mill, S.C.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Springs, Elliott White 1896 births 1959 deaths American World War I flying aces Culver Academies alumni Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New York (state) People from Fort Mill, South Carolina People from Lancaster, South Carolina Princeton University alumni Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II