Theodore Gordon "Spuds" Ellyson, USN (27 February 1885 – 27 February 1928), was the first

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer designated as an

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

Naval Aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...

No. 1"). Ellyson served in the experimental development of aviation in the years before and after

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 ...

. He also spent several years before the war as part of the Navy's new

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

service. A recipient of the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

for his antisubmarine service in

, Ellyson died in 1928 when his aircraft crashed over the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

Early life and pre-aviation naval career

Born in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, Ellyson entered the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

in 1901 and graduated with the class of 1905. Among his classmates were several future World War II admirals including: Harold G. Bowen Sr., Arthur B. Cook,

Wilhelm L. Friedell Wilhelm Lee Friedell (August 22, 1883 – January 27, 1958), was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Friedell was in command of the U. S. Naval Submarine Forces in European Waters during World War I, and was the commander of COMSUBPAC prior ...

, William R. Furlong, Stanford C. Hooper, Royal E. Ingersoll,

Herbert F. Leary Herbert Fairfax Leary (May 31, 1885 – December 3, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral (United States), vice admiral. A son of Rear Admiral Richard P. Leary, he distinguished himself durin ...

, Byron McCandless, John H. Newton,

Chester W. Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (; 24 February 1885 – 20 February 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in Chief, ...

, Harry E. Shoemaker, John M. Smeallie, John W. Wilcox Jr. and Walter B. Woodson. During the five years following his graduation, he served on USS ''Texas'' and ; as Watch and Division Officer of USS ''Pennsylvania'' and later USS ''Colorado''; and on USS ''West Virginia'', USS ''Rainbow'', and USS ''Shark'' on the

Asiatic Station The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron (naval), squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron w ...

. After his return to the United States in April 1910, he commanded the USS ''Tarantula'' until November of that year, and then had duty in connection with fitting out the submarine USS ''Seal'' at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. He commanded her briefly after her commissioning on 2 December 1910.

Naval Aviator Number One

In December 1910, Ellyson was ordered by Captain Washington I. Chambers, the Navy's first director of naval aviation, to North Island, San Diego, California for instruction in aviation under

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

. While at an Aero Club show on 28 January 1911 near the flight school, Ellyson took off in a Curtiss "grass cutter" plane to become the first Naval aviator. With a blocked throttle, this ground plane was not supposed to fly, and Ellyson was not proficient enough to fly. He slewed off left, cracking up the plane somewhat by making a wing-first landing. However, Ellyson was not injured and from then on he was considered to have made his first flight on this date. He also cooperated with Curtiss in the design of a pontoon for aircraft, and after Curtiss' first flight on 27 January 1911, Ellyson went up with Curtiss in February to become the first passenger to go aloft in a floatplane. Later that month, he participated in experiments demonstrating the potential use of floatplanes from ships, when the aircraft was hoisted on board and subsequently lowered to the water for its return flight to North Island. LT Ellyson became first aviator in history to qualify as a pilot according to Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) standards in a flight over water. In the presence of a committee of the Aero Club of America, he was required to fly five figure eights around two flags buoyed 1500 feet apart and land within 150 feet of an established mark. This course had to be completed twice. When Ellyson qualified, he landed directly alongside his mark, a white flag buoyed by a bottle. His second landing was within ten feet of his first. The test also required the prospective aviator to climb to a minimum altitude of 150 ft (officially 50 meters). Ellyson made this twice on his test. On September 7, 1911, LT Ellyson, in the Navy model A-1 Triad, slid down 150 ft on a wire cable at Hammondsport, New York from a platform 25 ft high, and was safely launched out over

Keuka Lake Keuka Lake ( ) is one of the major Finger Lakes in the U.S. state of New York. It is unusual because it is Y-shaped, in contrast to the long and narrow shape of the other Finger Lakes. Because of its shape, it was referred to in the past as Croo ...

. From the time Ellyson began instruction in aviation until 29 April 1913, he devoted all of his time to active flying and experimental work in aviation. This included the establishment of Naval Aviation Camps at

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

in September 1911 when, with then-Lieutenant John H. Towers, he flew an aircraft from Annapolis to Milford Haven, Virginia, a nonstop distance record for float planes.

World War I service

In 1917, he had duty at the Naval Academy and with the midshipmen on cruise on USS ''Wyoming'' and . On 14 February 1918, he was detached for duty at the Submarine Chaser Base,

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

, and in June arrived in London for duty with a

submarine chaser A submarine chaser or subchaser is a type of small naval vessel that is specifically intended for anti-submarine warfare. They encompass designs that are now largely obsolete, but which played an important role in the wars of the first half of th ...

squadron at U.S. Naval Base 27 at

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

. Ellyson was awarded the

for distinguished service in

for his development of successful tactics for the submarine chaser squadron.

Postwar service and death

Following the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

in 1918, he remained in the European Area, commanding Nucleus Crew 14 (zeppelin) from March to May 1919. Upon his return to the United States, he assisted in fitting out the destroyer USS ''J. Fred Talbott'' at William Cramp and Sons, and served on that vessel as commanding officer from the time of her commissioning in June 1919 until July 1920. During the next five months, he commanded the USS ''Little'' and USS'' Brooks''. On 10 January 1921, he was ordered to

Hampton Roads, Virginia Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic Ocean. ...

, to serve for eight months as executive officer of the Naval Air Station, Naval Operating Base. The

Bureau of Aeronautics The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and rela ...

was established in the Navy Department on 1 September 1921, and on 21 October, Commander Ellyson became head of the plans division of that bureau. He remained in that assignment until December 1922, when he became the aviation member of the U.S. Naval Mission to Brazil, cooperating in the reorganization of the

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

. He returned to the Bureau of Aeronautics in May 1925. On 20 July 1925, he assumed command of Torpedo Squadron 1 and from March to June 1926 was executive officer of USS ''Wright'', a seaplane tender. On 23 June 1926, he was ordered to duty in connection with the fitting out of USS ''Lexington'', the Navy's second aircraft carrier, and was on board when she was placed in commission. Commander Ellyson was killed on 27 February 1928, his 43rd birthday, in the crash of a

Loening OL The Loening OL, also known as the Loening Amphibian, is an American two-seat amphibious biplane designed by Grover Loening and built by Loening for the United States Army Air Corps and the United States Navy. Design and development First flow ...

-7 aircraft in the lower

while on a night flight from Norfolk, Virginia, to Annapolis, Maryland. His body washed ashore and was recovered in April 1928. He was buried in the Naval Academy Cemetery, in Annapolis.

Legacy

In 1941, the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

USS ''Ellyson'' was named in his honor. The vessel was launched on 25 July 1941 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in

Kearny, New Jersey Kearny ( ) is a town in the western part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and a suburb of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 41,999, an increase of 1,315 (+3.2%) from the 2010 census cou ...

, and sponsored by the commander's daughter, Miss Gordon Ellyson. The ship was commissioned on 28 November 1941 with Lieutenant Commander J.B. Rooney in command. In 1961, Ellyson was designated the recipient of the Gray Eagle Award for the period 1911 to 1928, when he was the senior active Naval Aviator. In 1965, Ellyson was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. On 7 October 2019, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland dedicated an airpark complete with an F-14A, EA-6B, A-4A, and F-4J as Ellyson Park. Ellyson is buried only a short distance away.

References

: : *Grossnick, Roy et al.
"PART 1. A Few Pioneers 1898-1916."
Chapter in ''United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995''. 4th edition. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1997. *Stephen K. Stein, From Torpedoes to Aviation: Washington Irving Chambers & Technological Innovation in the New Navy 1876 to 1913 (2007) *William Trimble, Hero of the Air: Glenn Curtiss and the Birth of Naval Aviation (2010)

External links

*Collections of Ellyson's papers

* ttp://www.militarymuseum.org/Ellyson.html Californians and the Military: Theodore Gordon Ellyson, Commander, U.S.N.: "Submariner" and "Naval Aviator Number One"- from the California Military Museum
USS Ellyson (DD-454)
- ''Dictionary of American Fighting Ships'' entry, from the Naval Historical Center
Ellyson biography from the First Flight Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellyson, Theodore Gordon 1885 births 1928 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War I Members of the Early Birds of Aviation United States Naval Aviators Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Military personnel from Richmond, Virginia United States Navy submariners United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy officers Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery American aviation record holders