Background
Thomas Elliott, son of Thomas Herbert Elliott and his wife Elizabeth, was born on 17 March 1898 in Gateshead in the north-east of England.
Thomas Elliott, son of Thomas Herbert Elliott and his wife Elizabeth, was born on 17 March 1898 in Gateshead in the north-east of England.
The observer ace of Royal Air Force Number. 62 Squadron scored the majority of his victories with George Everard Gibbons as pilot. Elliott later served as an instructor at an air gunnery school.
Elliott was one of two children, and the only one to survive childhood.
His father"s occupation was recorded as lead manufacturer"s agent. Prior to the war, Elliott was employed as a clerk with the firm of Raine and Company in Newcastle.
Elliott enlisted with the military in April 1916, and received his commission to the Number. 62 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps on 12 March 1918.
The Squadron has recently deployed to France and Elliott arrived not long after his new unit began operations from the aerodrome at Serny.
Elliott was credited with eleven aerial victories while he was with Number. 62 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, all of them from the Bristol F.2b Fighter, and nine of them with George Everard Gibbons as pilot. Gibbons had scored his first eight victories with Sidney Arthur William Knights as observer.
However, Knights was hospitalized on 10 July 1918 and then was posted to the School of Aviation.
Later, he was transferred to the Royal Air Force Armament School at Royal Air Force Uxbridge at the estate of Hillingdon House in Hillingdon in Greater London. Elliott, therefore, was the replacement for Knights.
In September 1918, Elliott was transferred to Number. 1 School of Air Gunnery, where he served as an instructor.
He relinquished his commission on 21 February 1919.
