John Ellis (RAF officer)

Supermarine Spitfires of No. 610 Squadron in flight, 24 July 1940

Once the evacuation of the BEF was complete, No. 610 Squadron, now commanded by an officer of the AAF, resumed patrolling the English Channel and on 12 June, Ellis shared in the destruction of a Heinkel He 111 medium bomber near Margate.[5][6] At the start of July, the squadron shifted back to Biggin Hill from where it was regularly scrambled to intercept approaching German bombers and their fights escorts. On 3 July he and several other pilots of the flight that he was leading at the time destroyed a Dornier Do 17 medium bomber near Deal although this could not be confirmed. He shot down a Bf 109 while patrolling over Dover on 24 July and on a subsequent sortie later the same day destroyed a second Bf 109 near Margate.[6][8]

The following afternoon Ellis destroyed a Bf 109 off Folkestone, in an action witnessed by his wingman.[6][8] Scrambled again in the evening as cover for Royal Navy destroyers passing through the English Channel, Ellis and his flight engaged a group of 20 German fighters and in the ensuing dogfight he shot down two Bf 109s. He was promoted to acting squadron leader and given command of the squadron following the death of its commander. He shot down two more Bf 109s when the squadron was scrambled to intercept bombers approaching Dungeness on 12 August, although only one of these was confirmed; the other was claimed as a probable.[6][9] The next day, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC); the citation, published in The London Gazette, read:

This officer was employed on offensive patrols over Dunkirk during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and led his flight with great courage. On two occasions, whilst deputising for his Commanding Officer, he led a patrol of four squadrons, displaying great initiative and leadership. During these patrols Flight Lieutenant Ellis destroyed two enemy aircraft. Later, whilst engaged on home defence duties, he shot down one enemy bomber. In July, 1940, whilst leading the squadron, he destroyed two enemy aircraft and on the following day he shot down a further three of eight enemy aircraft destroyed by his squadron. Flight Lieutenant Ellis has displayed courage and leadership of a high order.

— London Gazette, No. 34920, 13 August 1940.[10]

On 16 August Ellis damaged a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber. Two days later, on what became known as 'the Hardest Day', the Luftwaffe mounted a large scale attack on a number of airfields in the southeast of England. Biggin Hill was among those targeted; the squadron was scrambled to intercept approaching bombers. Initially it engaged the escorting fighters, Ellis destroying one, a Bf 109, before he began to pursue the bombers, attacking a He 111 which crashed into the English Channel. He shot down a Bf 109 on 26 August near Folkestone and then a He 111 the next day.[6][11] At the end of the month the squadron moved north to Acklington for a period of rest performing less intensive operations.[5] During its time in the southeast of England, the squadron had claimed 68 German aircraft destroyed with another 19 considered probably destroyed although 18 of its pilots had been killed.[12]

At Acklington, Ellis's focus was on rebuilding No. 610 Squadron by training up replacement pilots. During his time there, he also received a substantive promotion to flight lieutenant.[12] The squadron returned to No. 11 Group in December, based at Westhampnett, and began offensive operations to France early the following year using Spitfire Mk IIs. On 13 March 1941, he destroyed a He 111 off Selsey Bill, his last aerial victory.[5][6] Ellis was posted to No. 55 Operational Training Unit (OTU) on instructing duties in April and the following month was awarded a bar to his DFC.[13] The published citation read:

This officer has commanded the squadron since July, 1940, and his personal example and tremendous energy have been mainly responsible for the high state of operational efficiency. The squadron has destroyed at least 89 hostile aircraft, 11 of which have been shot down by Squadron Leader Ellis.

— London Gazette, No. 35151, 2 May 1941.[14]

Towards the end of 1941, Ellis was sent to East Africa to continue on instructing duties, now with No. 71 OTU at Khartoum. At the end of the year, his acting rank of squadron leader was made substantive[6] In April 1943, Ellis was appointed leader of the Krendi Wing, based on the island of Malta.[15] His new command was tasked with conducting aerial operations in support of the forthcoming Allied invasion of Sicily.[2][6] Flying an escort mission for bombers attacking the airfield at Gerbini on 13 June, he was shot down, most likely by the German flying ace Gerhard Michalski.[16] Made a prisoner of war, he was held in Stalag Luft III. While imprisoned at the camp, Ellis was part of its Escape Committee, as second-in-charge to Roger Bushell, teaching potential escapees techniques for living rough.[2][6][17] Following the escape of several prisoners, including Bushell, on 24–25 March 1944, Ellis became the leader of the Escape Committee. He remained a prisoner for the remainder of the war.[6][18]