John Hugh Mortimer Ellis

[Teresa Maria]

Does anyone happen to know the date of birth of John Hugh Mortimer Ellis, the Cockney Sparrow? Thank you in advance. :-)

[Andy Saunders]

It is not immediately to hand, but I do have his Birth Certificate.

[Andy Saunders]

Here it is:

2 April 1919

Born 14 Marlow Road, Cambridge, to Ethel Mary and Frederick John Ellis.

What is your interest?

You will find his full story here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Few-.../dp/1906502552

[MarkRS]

Why, exactly, was he called the Cockney Sparrow if he was born in Cambridge?

[Andy Saunders]

He was called "Cock Sparrow" by Sqn Ldr Peter Townsend, CO of 85 Sqn at the time of Ellis' loss.

Never "Cockney Sparrow".

[Teresa Maria]

Thank you very much for your answer. As for my interest, I bet you'll be surprised: I'm more interested in the biographies of handsome fighter pilots than in aviation history as such (planes, battles, etc.) :-)
As for the 'Cockney Sparrow' nickname, I found it on the Internet.

[MarkRS]

That seems more logical, his mum would have had to had bloody good hearing to hear Bow bells from Cambridge! So now, why "Cock Sparrow"?

[Andy Saunders]

I think it was just Townsend's nick-name for him, because he was a little chirpy fellow by all accounts.