Francis Mellersh (RAF officer)

Francis John Williamson Mellersh
300px 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(s)	Tog
Born	22 September 1898 Esher, Surrey, England
Died	25 May 1955 (aged 56) 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.

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.

References

• 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.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by O R Gayford	Officer Commanding RAF Wattisham 1941 – c. 1942	Succeeded by unknown
Preceded by H C Davidson USAAF	Air Commander, Strategic Air Force, Eastern Air Command 1944 – 1945	Formation disbanded
Preceded by R Graham	Commandant RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park 1945 – 1946	Succeeded by D A Boyle
Preceded by G H Vasse	Air Officer Commanding No. 21 Group 1947 – 1948	Succeeded by C A Bouchier
Preceded by S C Strafford	Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment 1952 – 1954	Succeeded by B C Yarde