| Francis John Williamson Mellersh | |
|---|---|
 Air Commodore Mellersh (left), Air Commander of the Strategic Air Force, in discussion with senior officers in the War Room at Headquarters Strategic Air Force, Eastern Air Command in Calcutta | |
| Nickname | Tog |
| Born | September 22, 1898 |
| Died | May 25, 1955 (aged 56) |
| Place of birth | Esher, Surrey, England |
| Place of death | Itchenor, Sussex, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1916–1954 |
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Unit | No. 9 Naval Squadron/No. 209 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Air Force Cross |
Air Vice Marshal Sir Francis John Williamson Mellersh KBE, AFC, RAF (22 September 1898 – 25 May 1955) was a World War I pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service credited with five aerial victories, and a senior Royal Air Force commander during World War II. He was killed in a bizarre helicopter accident in 1955.
World War I service[]
Mellersh joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1916. He trained as a fighter pilot and was posted to 9 Naval Squadron in 1917. While flying a Sopwith Triplane on 28 July 1917, he drove down an Aviatik C. He switched to flying a Sopwith Camel and scored victories 15 October 1917 and 12 April 1918; the latter win was shared with squadron-mate Roy Brown. On 21 April 1918, Mellersh was a flight commander involved in the dogfight that brought down the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen; Mellersh claimed a Fokker Dr.I triplane destroyed on that date. His last victory came two days later.[1]
Post World War I[]
In 1922 Mellersh had a son born to him. He named the boy Francis Richard Lee and he followed his father's example, joining the RAF and rising to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal himself.[2] The younger Francis was the subject of a famous photograph while getting his hair cut between missions.[3]
Death[]
Mellersh debarked from a helicopter onto a quay on 25 May 1955; he had been invited to cruise on a yacht belonging to the Itchenor Yacht Club. As the helicopter departed, one of its rotors hit the mast of a yacht. As the copter crashed, the main rotor killed Mellersh.[4]
References[]
- ↑ Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. p. 280.
- ↑ http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/MELLERSH.shtml
- ↑ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/17/the-story-behind-this-photo-of-a-raf-pilot.html
- ↑ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/mellersh.php Retrieved 7 February 2010.
- Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Vice Marshal Sir Francis Mellersh
- The Aerodrome - Francis Mellersh
- King's College London - Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives - MELLERSH, Sir Francis John Williamson
- Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0-948817-19-4, ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
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