Country - United States Rank - Captain Service - United States Air Service Units - 85 (RFC) 148th Aero (USAS) Victories - 16 Born - 31 July 1896 Place of Birth - Lancaster, South Carolina Died - 15 October 1959 Place of Death - Memorial Hospital, New York Elliot White Springs joined the Royal Air Corps and flew for the British scoring one victory on June 25, 1918. 1Lt. Springs was eventually assigned as an RAF squadron commander. He was also awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross. Elliott White Springs was born July 31, 1896, the son of Colonel Leroy Springs, a wealthy textile manufacturer, Elliot attended the Culver Military Academy and Princeton. He enlisted in the army in 1917 and was sent to England for training with the Royal Flying Corps. In 1918, he was one of several pilots hand picked by William Bishop to fly the S.E.5a with 85 Squadron in France. After recovering from wounds received in action on 27 June 1918, he was reassigned to the 148th Pursuit Squadron which was still under the operational control of the RFC. When the war ended, Springs returned to the United States where he barnstormed while writing "Warbirds: The Diary of an Unknown Aviator." His book was largely based upon a collection of letters written by his friend, John McGavock Grider, who was killed in action while serving with 85 Squadron. "Warbirds" was a bestseller and Springs continued writing books based on his experiences during World War I. At his father's request, he returned to work at the family textile business in 1931. Recalled to active duty in 1941, Springs served with the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He died, age 63, at Memorial Hospital in New York following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
