In memory of

Flight Lieutenant

Eldon Burke Elliott

who died on 3 Nov 1943

Service details
  Conflict WWII
  Service RCAF
  Unit No. 148 Squadron, Royal Air Force
  Rank Flight Lieutenant
  Service number J4524
  Date of death 19431103
  Cause of death killed in action
Narrative history
  J4524 Flight Lieutenant (No. 148 Squadron RAF navigator) (Eldon) Burke Elliott (b.1910) of Toronto, Ontario, was KIA 19431103 and is buried at Belgrade war cemetery, Uliga Baju Sekulica, Serbia. Elliott's Liberator crashed into a hill at Injsii Dhmost (Kosinjski Zamost) on the Adriatic coast in Croatia. He had completed two tours and more than 60 missions before his fateful flight.

Burke was the only son of Rev. Alexander E. and Mabel May (Johnston) Elliott of Sutherland (they later moved to Summerberry). He was an engineering student at the University of Saskatchewan 1930-32 and later worked at Lachute, Québec, Peterborough and Toronto. Burke was born at Regina, educated at Fertile Valley, Milden and Regina college and had been a production supervisor at Canadian General Electric for five years when he enlisted at Toronto in 1940.

Elliott was awarded the Air Medal by the United States Army Air Force just days before his death. He was the only non-American to participate in a dangerous three day mission behind enemy lines to rescue downed Allied fliers. Citation:
For meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight as navigator on a special and hazardous mission into enemy occupied territory on 21 October 1943, for the purpose of delivering vitally needed supplies to intelligence personnel operating in that area and to evacuate USAAF personnel shot down in combat. He volunteered for this mission with full knowledge that chances of successfully completing the mission and returning safely to his base were remote. Soon after the plane was landed on an obscure landing strip it bogged down in a newly filled drainage ditch. During the following 72 hours Flight Lieutenant Elliott, along with other members of the crew, with the aid of local guerrillas, worked by night digging holes, cutting trees, and improvising winches. On the morning of 24 October 1943, the plane was extricated and returned to base. Through his technical ability as navigator, his marked resourcefulness, improvisation, and persistence, he contributed greatly to the complete success of the mission.
       A Glossary of abbreviations to help understand the terms used is available.
Images
  Attestation
Attestation
Bio by Blair Neatby
Family history form
Family history form
Letter
Medal card
Medal card
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Additional information
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Memorial information
  Saskatchewan rural municipality for commemoration 344 - Corman Park
  Cemetery or memorial location Belgrade war cemetery, Uliga Baju Sekulica, Serbia    

Please click here to view the cemetery/memorial information on Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  Honour roll location(s) Regina
Milden
  Geo-memorial Elliott Lake, Nunavut     
  Geo-memorial location 61.1167°N / 99.4833°E
  Geo-memorial NTS map reference 65G3
  Geo-memorial details North of Nueltin Lake.
Personal information
  Date of birth 19101007
  Place of birth Regina    
  Date of enlistment 19400701
  Place of enlistment Toronto, Ontario    
  Residence on enlistment Toronto, Ontario    
  Occupation engineer
Copyright Information
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