Tim Elkington RIP

A very sad loss of a real gentleman and hero

Amen to all the above. His posts were a must-read with the self effacing stamp of total authority. Reunited with his band of brothers, RIP.

Thank you for posting those links =brave men.

Very much saddened to read this. One of those chaps who made time to answer anyone’s questions, including mine, and whose posts were always well worth a read, coming as they did from one who had definitely been there and done it.

RIP Sir.

^^^ The links 1 and 3 above don’t seem to be working ,2 does 🙂

Sorry.

Try these…

https://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry1.htm

https://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry_2.htm

https://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry_3.htm

^^^ The links 1 and 3 above don’t seem to be working ,2 does 🙂

Sad news. RIP, Tim.

Born in East Yorkshire, I went to India in August 1947 where I continued my Primary and Secondary schooling until it was completed in December 1953.

Later in life I became a Computer Studies teacher and decided to set up a web site which in turn moved me to set up my own web site to serve, the boys boarding school, “Victoria School”. Kurseong, West Bengal, that I went to 1950 – 1953.

There, in the School Hall, on the School Honour Boards, were the names of those who served, including a board that had the names of those ‘old boys’ KIA in WWII.

http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/honour.htm

Two were of immediate interest to me, as I was brought up in the UK during the war.

The first was Flt.Lt Leslie Manser, VC., RAF, who lost his life on the first 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne.

The second was Ft.Sgt. Fred Berry who lost his life in the BoB on the 1st September 1940, while serving with 1 Squadron on Hurricanes.

More investigations led to an introduction [via email], to Tim Elkington, who made the claim that Fred Berry had saved his life!

Correspondence followed with Tim.

You can read about Fred Berry and his relationship to Tim on my web site at.

http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry1.htm

http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry_2.htm

http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry_3.htm

Blue Skies Tim.

I very much appreciated your post Adrian, so much said in so few words as it were.

I am saddened to hear the news of Tim’s passing, balanced though with appreciation for the time he spent amongst US, who are in awe of such men to whom we DO owe so much. I’ve been truly privileged in having spent time in the company of men that I previously knew, of the same cloth, and this just reinforces how fortunate we have been to hear his takes. Clear skies sir.

After a bit of reflection I posted this elsewhere today. I rather think the meeting came about because of this forum, for which I give thanks for its existence.
Dad was 10 in 1940. He grew up with the skies full of aircraft, not all of them friendly, and his (distant) cousin Ken even captured two German airman who’d escaped their stricken aircraft. So growing up with his stories you can probably imagine who my childhood heroes were.

A decade or so ago Ailsa and I met a gentleman named Tim Elkington at his home. Tim was a veteran of No 1 squadron in the Battle of Britain and, even for someone in the RAF in wartime, he did a truly astonishing amount of things.
He flew Hurricanes catapulted off merchant ships, with no hope of landing once they’d dealt with a convoy raider. He flew Hurricanes alongside an aircraft armed with a huge searchlight in the hope of illuminating enemy raiders (it didn’t work very well). He flew in Russia alongside the Red Air Force in the Russian winter.
He met his wife first when she was helping people shoot at him (he was flying an aircraft towing a drogue for target practice for ground gunners, she was on the ground with the gunners). Later, in India, he flew a captured Japanese A6M5 “Zero”, and the Vultee Vengeance divebomber.
If you want to read more, start here. It’s quite a read.
http://acesofww2.com/UK/aces/elkington/
They say don’t meet your heroes. The Gods have feet of clay. Well, that day we met one of my boyhood heroes, and he was utterly, utterly charming. I’m not sure we learnt a lot, we mostly chatted about gardening and Ailsa sorted out some computer issues for him. Even at 90-odd he was bolt upright, a magnificent specimen of English manhood, I think Ailsa was quite smitten. Furthermore, he was a gentleman in the old fashioned sense, a species that sadly seems to be getting very rare.
It’s not every day that you meet your heroes. It’s even rarer that you meet them and they cook you lunch. That’s right. Tim cooked.
Tim died yesterday aged 98. The Few grow ever fewer. I hope Helmut Wick, your Hun in the Sun of August 1940, was first at the Valhalla bar with a pint for you. I suspect you got in a crack about still having more hair than him.
A life well lived.

Adrian

I too conversed, only via email with Tim. He invited me down on two occasions so he could sign my Hurricane print that contains many other Hurricane pilots signatures. I’m afraid to say my tight working life kept me away. Sad to hear of his passing.

Sad news indeed. RIP Sir.

Very sad news, he was without doubt one of the best contributors to this forum, because he genuinely knew his stuff, he had lived it, and he was always very generous in sharing his knowledge and memories and photos. We are very fortunate to have had him as a member here for many years, and he’ll be much missed. RIP Sir. My condolences to his family and friends.

I am extremely sorry to hear of Tim’s demise (no doubt even now he is giving Helmut Wick stick for being so bald). I had the pleasure of meeting him and his family at their home.

I would have given my eye teeth to meet a Battle of Britain veteran as a lad. When I finally did, this hero, someone whose presence I was in awe of even in my late 30s… COOKED US LUNCH.

An absolute old-fashioned Emglish gentleman.

Adrian

Very sorry to learn of this sad news. I had the pleasure of meeting him last summer at the RAF Bicester airshow when he kindly visited our engine enclosure. I enjoyed hearing his tales about his experience of the Merlin and enjoyed his joke regarding my cheap propeller! (he was not a fan of the Hamilton Standard prop). RIP.

https://twitter.com/i/moments/1011630798091489280

DAI

A great loss indeed. Tim was extremely helpful and forthcoming when I was researching one of my books.

Tim is the only BoB era pilot I have ever corresponded with. We discussed his experience in India and the captured A6M5 he flew there. As others he have said he was an absolute genetleman of the old school, and I am sad I never got the chance to meet him in person.

Rest in Peace sir, your memory and memories will be remembered.

Very sad, RIP.

Oh no R I P Sir , i have loved your contributions ,Thank you for your bravery and service .

I’m very saddened to see this news, RIP Tim. Always a great contributor to this forum with his knowledge and the stories of his many remarkable deeds. Without question an example of life lived to the full.

Thoughts and deepest sympathy to his family and friends.