Serial Number:
RFC Trade: Pilot
Date of Enlistment:
Rank Achieved: Flight Lieutenant
Flying Hours:
Operational Sorties:

Date of Birth: 2nd of June 1889, at Waipu in Northland
Personal Details: Samuel Howard Ellis was the son of Mr. Howard J.S. Ellis, who was a haeadmaster at New Lynn Public School. Known as Sam or Sammy to friends, he seems to have preferred to be known officially by his middle name of Howard, and was often recorded in the newspapers as S. Howard Ellis.

Sam was educated at Auckland Grammar School where he won both the junior and senior scholarships. He then progressed to study at Auckland University College, where he graduated with both a Bachelor of Arts and an Bachelor of Law degrees in 1912.

He was quite a sportsman, captaining the Auckland University cicket side and also playing first class cricket for Auckland in the 1911/1912 season, as wicket-keeper. He also played rugby in the University's senior football team.

After leaving university Sam was employed in the legal offices of Mr McGregor, and Messrs Neumegean and Mowlem solictors in Auckland. He moved to Fiji in about late-1912 and took over the legal practice of Mr. Chalmers at Lautoka. Later he also formed the firm Caldwell and Ellis.

Service Details: At the outbreak of World War One Sam placed his two businesses into the hands of managers and sailed for England. Three weeks after arriving he joined the British Army, and was made a Second Lieutenant in the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers. After a time he realised New Zealand was sending its army to the war and he attempted to get transfered to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. However he found this was not possible and instead he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, where he was to begin training as a pilot.

Sam underwent his flying instruction at Hendon and then Neveravon, gaining is wings in February 1916, and then went to France in April to join the fight in the air. He returned to England soon afterwards and was flying fighters in the defence of Britain against Zeppelin raiders. Then in May he went back to Flanders, where on May the 6th he happened by chance to bump into his two brothers who were both in the NZEF, the elder of whom was Roy who had taken part in the landing on Gallipoli and remained there till within the last hour of the evacuation. The other brother, who's name is unknown, had joined the NZEF in a later draft.

On the 3rd of July 1916 during the third day of the great offensive on the Somme, Sam was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, wounded and captured. He was reported missing by a fellow pilot who watched him make a successful landing behind the lines. His wounds included shrapnel to his left lag, breaking the leg, and to his right chek. The Auckland Weekly News issue dated the 12th of October 1916 reported on this:

"ELLIS, Flight Lieutenant S Howard, son of of New Lynn, is in a German military hospital. He took part in a great aerial raid, which accompanied the opening of the Somme offensive. He writes: " "I was brought down by an 'archie' (or anti-aircraft gun) on July 3; I was hit in the left leg which was broken and put me out of action and in the right cheek. The leg is more serious and that is only a matter of a few weeks. I was a bit seedy for a day or so but am now mending rapidly. I have been treated with most wonderful kindness by all ranks throughout, from the man who lifted me out of the machine, which was crashed, to the very able surgeon who now attends me."

After a year and a half of captivity, in approximately January 1918 Sam was released by the Germans and he and Private V.S. Pace were reported to have reached Switzerland by the Poverty Bay Times on the 10th of January 1918. The report stated 19 other New Zealanders had already been released shortly before these too.

World War Two
By World War Two Ellis was a lawyer and successful businessman, and he lived between two homes, one in Suva, Fiji, and the other in Cambridge, New Zealand. His Cambridge home was "Summerleas" on Pope Terrace, (which years later passed into the hands of equally well known local business man, the late J.D. Wallace).

He spent a lot of time during the war in Fiji, and he and his wife, Lady Ellis, would often him trip backwards and forwards between the two places.

In 1940 Sir Howard and Lady Ellis donated £5000 to the RAF to buy a fighter plane. Though reported to have been a Spitfire that was bought with the money, in fact this turned out to actually be a Hawker Hurricane (serial coded V7776). It was given the presentation name "Spirit of the RFC", in honour of Sir Howard's own previous service in the Royal Flying Corps, and the Hurricane was sent to the Middle East. At this stage no further information is known about the fighter's service, who flew it and with which squadron, but it's career was not terribly long because V7776 was struck off charge on the 7th of May 1941.

At around the same time as "Spirit of the RFC" was being struck off charge, the Ellis's kindly donated a second amount of around £5000 for another RAF aircraft. This money paid for Hawker Typhoon (serial coded R8200) which was christened "Islands Of Britain". This fighter served with No. 56 Squadron, and was eventually struck off charge on the 16th of November 1945

A third sum of £5,500 was later donated by Mr and Mrs Howard Ellis to purchase another fighter. The aircraft purchased was a Westland Whirlwind (coded P7102) and dubbed with the presentation name "Comrades in Arms." This fighter served with No.s 137 and 263 Squadrons. Whilst with No. 137 Squadron it carried the squadron codes of PS-F and it was flown by Australian Eddie Musgrave. In June 1942 the aircraft was based at RAF Matlaske. The Whirlwind was struck off charge on the 30th of September 1944.

It is of interest to note that this article from the New Zealand Observer magazine dated the 22nd of April 1942 suggests the name chosen by the Ellis's was shortened by the Royal Air Force.

"AND YET AGAIN - Mr and Mrs Howard Ellis, of Suva - and Cambridge - have once again very generously donated the sum of £5,500 for the purchase of fighter aircraft for Britain to be named "Comrade in Arms - Fiji and New Zealand." This is the third fighter donated by them, and is a very fine gesture."

Modellers will find it interesting that this seems to be the most famous of all Whirlwinds, and has been epicted by the 1/72nd scale Airfix Westland Whirlwind, and the more recent 1/48th scale Classic Airframes kitset. You can see more on the Airfix kitset here and a great build article with some lovely photos of the 1/48th scale kit here

Henry Boot, who studies presentation aircraft of the RAF, and has an interesting website on the subject here has kindly assisted with information on this page. He explains why he believes the original reports of a Spitfire being purchased are incorrect:

"During WW2 there was an organisation known as the Fellowship of the Bellows, which began in South America - Argentine/Brazil somewhere, and it was for ex-Brit's to donate money towards the aircraft funds in secret. A small amount of money was donated by each member for every enemy aircraft shot down. A new member was a "puff", after donating so much they were promoted to a "breeze", and as they donated more money so the "wind" factor went up gale, hurricane, whirlwind, typhoon etc. You see now what I'm getting at? As Mr Ellis was not short of a bob or two, he may well have been a member of the Fellowship of Bellows - hence the reason he donated the Hurricane, Whirlwind and Typhoon - and not a Spitfire."

Howard Ellis, who was later knighted in the June 1943 King's Birthday Honours and from that time was to be known as Sir Howard Ellis, died on the 19th of January 1949, in Fiji

Note: Thanks to former Cambridge residents Howard and the late Shirley McLeod for originally telling me about Sir Howard Ellis and his donated fighter that set me on the course for researching his career and connection to Cambridge. Also thanks to the late Henry Boot for his exceptional help with the three donated aircrfat. Credit also goes to the following newspaper and magazine reports (some of them through the excellent Papers Past website from the National Library of New Zealand:

The Grey River Argus article "Prisoner in Germany" dated 19th of July 1918
Auckland Weekly News dated 12th of October 1916
Poverty Bay Herald article "Prisoners of War" dated 10th of January 1918
Poverty Bay Herald dated 11th of January 1918
The New Zealand Observer dated the 12th of June 1941