Who was F Hawes Elliot BEF

[sheldrake]

F Haws Elliot is the author of a book called Trench Fighting published in November 1917. The book is quite accurate in portraying mid WW1 BEF practice and includes lots of diagrams from British manuals. Does anyone know who he was and where he served.   

[charlie962]

A snippet:

 

The Technique of Trench Fighting. 
Captain F. Hawes Elliott, who had some 
thirty months' experience as instructor in a 
Canadian division at the front, was detailed 
to instruct American officers in the methods 
of trench warfare, and in this work achieved 
a success that led to a general demand that 
he publish his lectures for wider use. He 
has done so in a small pocket volume, elabo- 
rately illustrated with cuts and plans. It goes 
without saying that the information is detailed 
and up to date. Its value as an instruction 
book for men in the service is obvious, and it 
also possesses interest for the layman who 
desires to read accounts of battles and cam- 
paigns with understanding. 

Trench Fighting. By Captain F. Hawes El- 
liott. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company; 
$1.50 net. 

[charlie962]

CWGC has this:

 

First name(s)	Frank Hawes
Last name	Elliott
Birth year	1888
Age	30
Death year	1918
Death date	02 Jul 1918
Number	-
Rank	Captain
Unit	26Th Bn.
Regiment	Canadian Infantry
Grave reference	S. 16. L. 3482. G. 8.
Cemetery or memorial	Saint John (Fernhill) Cemetery
Burial country	Canada
Additional information	Son of James and Sarah H. Elliott, of 93, Victoria St., Saint John, New Brunswick.  (died of sickness)

Edited 27 March , 2020 by charlie962

[helpjpl]

Frank Hawes Elliott

 

Attestion Papers:

Born 18 August 1887 in St John, New Brunswick.

CEF, at St John on 02 November 1914. 

Active Militia:  Yes, 62nd Regt, 12 years.

 

Canada War Graves Register:

 

 

JP

[helpjpl]

 

The book:

https://archive.org/details/trenchfighting00elligoog/page/n6/mode/2up

 

JP

[sheldrake]

Thank you. It may have been a co-incidence, but he died around the time of the first of the two influenza epidemics of 1918, and of the kind of complications that kill those who die of covid-19 .

 

I looked him up on the Canadian veterans database, but there weren't any entries in the CEF personnel files.  http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/list.aspx?SurnameSearch=Elliot& In what capacity did he serve as an instructor for the Canadian forces in France for 30 months?  Or was his book compiled by a Canada based instructor  from manuals?

Edited 28 March , 2020 by sheldrake

[helpjpl]

1 hour ago, sheldrake said:

I looked him up on the Canadian veterans database, but there weren't any entries in the CEF personnel files.  http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/list.aspx?SurnameSearch=Elliot& 

 

Yes there is.  

NB  His last name is Elliott - with two t's:

 

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B2868-S023

 

Edit:  98 pages - it may take a while to download.

 

JP

Edited 28 March , 2020 by helpjpl
Edit:  98 pages - it may take a while to download.

[sheldrake]

Thank you.  Served with the 12th and 26th Battalions. Hospitalised with shell shock Oct 1916. Did all the courses in trench warfare. Instructor with   Williams College, Ma USA. 

Edited 29 March , 2020 by sheldrake

[helpjpl]

12 hours ago, sheldrake said:

Instructor with   Williams College, Ma USA. 

 

Williams College in the World War - Captain Frank Elliott gets a brief mention on pages 23 and 24:

https://archive.org/details/williamscollegei00will/page/22/mode/2up

 

JP

[Matthew Holmes]

I found this site from a search for information about Capt. Frank H. Elliott on the internet.  I did not know about the specific and extensive military records that have been listen in 

other peoples research.  I wanted to make note here because Captain Elliott was my Grandfather. The last name is different because of an adoption. 

It is gratifying to see that people have taken an interest in his efforts in understanding the details involved in trench warfare.  Unfortunately, I never met him, however I did briefly meet his wife(my Grandmother) for a short time when I was at a very young age.

Having never served in the military my interest has mostly been from a geanologicai perspective for what would appear to be a rather interesting man.