Ellyson, Theodore Gordon, 1885-1928

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1885-02-27
Death 1928-02-27

Biographical notes:

U.S. naval officer and pioneer aviator; nicknamed "Spuds."

From the description of Papers of Theodore Gordon Ellyson, 1912-1951 (bulk 1913-1920). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78530140

Commander, U.S. Navy.

Theodore Gordon Ellyson was the first Navy officer to qualify as an airplane pilot. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1901, graduating with the class of 1905. In December 1910, Ellyson was ordered to Los Angeles, California for instruction in aviation under Glenn Curtiss. In 1917 he had duty at the Naval Academy and with the Midshipmen on cruise on USS Wyoming and Kansas. On 14 February 1918, he was detached for duty at the Submarine Chaser Base, New London, Connecticut and in June arrived in London, England for duty with a submarine chaser squadron at U.S. Naval Base 27 at Plymouth, England. Ellyson was killed on 27 February 1928, his 43rd birthday, in the crash of an aircraft in the lower Chesapeake Bay while on a night flight from Norfolk, Virginia to Annapolis, Maryland.

From the description of Papers, 1918-1928. (Navy Department Library, Naval History & Heritage Command). WorldCat record id: 52880054

Biographical Note

1885, Feb. 27 Born, Richmond, Va. 1901 Appointed United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1905 Graduated United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1910 Ordered to Los Angeles, Calif., to take flight lessons offered to the navy by Glenn Curtiss 1911 Helped Curtiss design hydroplanes and land planes First passenger to go aloft in a hydroplane Passenger on the first flight of the A-1 aircraft and later made two solo flights, Hammondsport, N.Y. Made first night flight by a naval airman Piloted first aircraft successfully launched from a wire cable, Hammondsport, N.Y. 1912 Piloted first aircraft successfully launched from a catapult, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Married Helen Mildred Lewis Glenn 1913 Detached from naval aviation 1913 1916 Served aboard the South Carolina (battleship) 1914 Designated Naval Aviator Number One 1916 1918 Instructor, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., serving aboard the Wyoming (battleship) and Kansas (battleship) 1918 Received Naval Aviator Number One certificate Received first pair of gold wings given to a pilot Duty at Submarine Chaser Base, New London, Conn. Duty with Submarine Chaser Squadron, United States Naval Base Twenty-seven, Plymouth, England (later received Navy Cross for developing submarine chasing tactics doctrine) 1919 Commander, Crew Number Fourteen, Nucleus (ship) Commander, Zeppelin (steamer) 1919 1920 Commander, J. Fred Talbot (destroyer) 1920 Commander, successively Little (destroyer) and Brooks (ship) 1921 Executive officer, Naval Air Station, Hampton Roads, Va. 1921 1922 Head, Plans Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C. 1922 1925 Aviation member, United States Naval Mission to Brazil assisting in the reorganization of the Brazilian navy 1925 Returned to Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C. 1926 Executive officer, Wright (airship tender) Duty in connection with fitting out the Lexington, the navy's second aircraft carrier 1926 1928 Executive officer, Lexington (aircraft carrier) 1928, Feb. 27 Killed in airplane crash over the lower Chesapeake Bay while flying from Norfolk, Va., to Annapolis, Md. 1928, Mar. 10 Declared dead by United States Navy 1928, Apr. 11 Body washed ashore at Willoughby Spit near Hampton Roads, Va.

From the guide to the Theodore Gordon Ellyson Papers, 1912-1951, (bulk 1913-1920), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

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Subjects:

  • Adriatic question
  • Air pilots, Military
  • Naval aviation
  • Naval aviation
  • Revivals
  • World War, 1914-1918
  • World War, 1914-1918

Occupations:

  • Aviators
  • Naval officers

Places:

  • Haiti (as recorded)
  • Odesa (Ukraine) (as recorded)
  • Odesa (Ukraine) (as recorded)
  • Hispaniola (as recorded)
  • Yugoslavia (as recorded)
  • Caribbean Area (as recorded)
  • Soviet Union (as recorded)
  • Soviet Union (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • Italy (as recorded)
  • Dalmatia (Croatia) (as recorded)
  • Haiti (as recorded)
  • Yugoslavia (as recorded)
  • Hispaniola (as recorded)
  • Italy (as recorded)
  • Adriatic Sea (as recorded)
  • Adriatic Sea (as recorded)
  • Sevastopolʹ (Ukraine) (as recorded)
  • Caribbean Area (as recorded)
  • Sevastopolʹ (Ukraine) (as recorded)
  • Virginia (as recorded)
  • Dalmatia (Croatia) (as recorded)

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