Elliott White Springs (July 31, 1896 – October 15, 1959), was a

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

businessman and an American

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, credited with shooting down 16 enemy aircraft.

Early life

Springs was born to Col. Leroy Springs and Grace Allison White Springs. His father was a noted South Carolina textiles manufacturer. Springs attended

Culver Military Academy Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school located in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culver ...

, and then

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

World War I service

left, Lt. Elliott Springs in front of his wrecked Sopwith Camel in September 1918. Springs enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

in the autumn of 1917. He was sent to England to train with the oyal Flying Corps and was selected by the Canadian flying ace Billy Bishop to fly the S.E.5 with 85 Squadron over

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. After claiming three destroyed and one 'out of control' with 85 Squadron, Springs was shot down on 27 June 1918 by Lt. Josef Raesch of ''Jasta'' 43. After recovering from wounds received, he was reassigned to the U.S. Air Service's 148th Aero Squadron, flying the

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...

On 3 August 1918, while escorting Airco DH.9 bombers, Springs shot down three

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...

scouts in flames. On 22 August 1918 he attacked five Fokker DVIIs, shooting down one into a wood near Velu. He sent another enemy aircraft 'out of control'. On 22 August 1918 he engaged three Fokker DVIIs, and Springs claimed two shot down, with one 'out of control'. By 24 September 1918 Springs had claimed 10 victories destroyed, 2 shared destroyed and 4 driven down 'out of control'. He had shared three wins with such squadron mates as Lieutenants Henry Clay and Orville Ralston. Also about this time Springs rose to command the 148th as it and the 17th Aero Squadron joined the 4th Pursuit Group.

Return to civilian life

Upon his return to the United States, Springs wrote numerous books, short stories, and articles. Many of these were about his experiences in combat aviation. The most notable of these was ''Warbirds: The Diary of an Unknown Aviator'', which was found later to be the diary of John McGavock Grider a friend and comrade of his who did not survive the war. He was also known for carousing, habits he picked up overseas in the War. He toured speakeasies, drank heavily, chased women, and hosted all-night parties. He regularly visited friends "with a five-gallon jug and a strange woman." He also did some

barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in ...

after his return. On November 11, 1953, he appeared on an episode of ''

I've Got a Secret ''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...

.''

Management of Springs Cotton Mills

Springs' profligate life changed in 1931 when his father died and he took over running the family textile firm. Though the firm was heavily mortgaged, Springs saved the company while, among other things, slashing his own salary. Springs even put a loom in his basement to try out new ideas. Because of his actions, the family firm made it through the Great Depression which saw many of his competitors close.

Return to service

In 1941, Springs returned to his nation's service in the

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

Later years and death

Springs continued to run Springs Cotton Mills until shortly before his death. He died of pancreatic cancer. His home, known as the William Elliott White House, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1987.

References

Bibliography

* Davis, Burke. ''War Bird: The Life and Times of Elliott White Springs''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. * ''Letters from a War Bird: The World War I Correspondence of Elliott White Springs''. Edited by David K. Vaughan. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2012.

External links

South Carolina Business Hall of Fame profileWhite Homestead and Store - Fort Mill, S.C.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Springs, Elliott White 1896 births 1959 deaths People from Lancaster, South Carolina Princeton University alumni United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army officers American World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Textile companies of the United States Deaths from pancreatic cancer People from Fort Mill, South Carolina Culver Academies alumni United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I