Sir Thomas Elmhirst | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 December 1895 Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 6 November 1982 (aged 86) Dummer, Hampshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Navy (1908–18) Royal Air Force (1918–1950) |
| Years of service | 1908–1950 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands | Royal Indian Air Force (1947–50) AHQ Egypt (1942–43) No. 202 Group (1941–42) RAF Abingdon (1935–37, 1939–40) RAF Leconfield (1939) No. 14 Squadron (1934–35) |
| Battles / wars | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Air Force Cross Knight of the Order of St John Mentioned in Despatches (4) Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Croix de Guerre (Belgium) Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) Croix de Guerre (France) |
| Spouse(s) | Katherine Gordon Black (m. 1930–65; her death) Marian Ferguson (m. 1968–82; his death) |
| Relations | Leonard Knight Elmhirst (brother) |
Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst, KBE, CB, AFC, DL (15 December 1895 – 6 November 1982) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century and the first commander-in-chief of the Royal Indian Air Force upon Indian independence in August 1947, in which post he organised the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi following his assassination in 1948. He later became the Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Guernsey from 1953 to 1958.