Earl Hancock Ellis
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| Earl Hancock Ellis | |
|---|---|
| December 19, 1880 – May 12, 1923 (aged 42) | |
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| Nickname | "Pete" |
| Place of birth | Iuka, Kansas |
| Place of death | Palau, Caroline Islands |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1900-1923 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Philippine-American War World War I |
| Awards | Navy Cross Croix de Guerre (France)[1] |
Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis (December 19, 1880 – May 12, 1923) was a United States Marine Corps officer, and author of Operations Plan 712-H: Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia, which became the basis for the American campaign of amphibious assault that defeated the Japanese in World War II.
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[edit] Biography
Colonel Ellis was born on 19 December 1880 at Iuka, Kansas.
[edit] Military service
Ellis began his career in the United States Marine Corps in 1900 as a private. On 6 December 1901, he became a second lieutenant. Early in 1902, he left the United States, and arrived on 13 April at Cavite, Philippine Islands, serving at Cavite during the Philippine-American War. Later, he served in the intelligence service in the West Indies and at the Naval Sation in Guam. Upon his return from Guam, he served as Aide-de-Camp to Major General Commandant George Barnett.
During World War I, he served with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in France. He participated in the St. Mihiel (Champagne) Offensive (12-16 September 1918) and in the [[Meuse-Argonne (Champagne) Offensive from 29 September to 10 October 1918) including the attack on and capture of Mont Blanc, and in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive from 31 October to 11 November 1918).[1]
Ellis was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Star, and was cited by the Marshall of France commanding French Armies of the East as follows:[1]
- "From the 2nd to the 10th of October, 1918, near Blanc Mont, Lieutenant Colonel Ellis has shown a high sense of duty. Thanks to his intelligence, his courage and hi energy, the operations that this Brigade (Fourth Brigade, Second Division) took part in, have always been successful."
He served with the Second Marine Brigade in San Domingo from April to 11 December 1920. On 11 November 1920, he was awarded the Navy Cross. His citation reads:[1]
- "For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service. As Adjutant, Fourth Brigade Marines, he displayed utter disregard of personal hardship and danger, energetic application and an unfailing devotion to the duties of his office. He has ever shown himself ready for any emergency, even when he has been without sleep or rest for several days and nights at a time. His keen analytical mind, quick grasp of intricate problems, resourcefulness, decision and readiness to take prompt action on important questions arising during the temporary absence of the Brigade Commander within the Brigade, have contributed largely to the success of the Brigade, rendered his services invaluable and won for him the high esteem and complete confidence of the Brigade Commander."
[edit] Ellis' death
On 12 May 1923, at age 43, Colonel Ellis died under mysterious circumstances on the Japanese-held island of Palau in the Caroline Islands. In contemporary newspaper accounts and in later years, numerous conspiracy theorists alleged that Ellis was assassinated by Japanese military authorities; however, detractors of such theories note that Ellis was known to have a severe drinking problem and likely died from an alcohol-related illness such as cirrhosis of the liver. Ellis's official medical records indicate that not long before his death, he was admitted to a naval hospital for treatment of delirium tremens and hallucinations.[2] Ellis had also tendered his undated resignation as a Marine officer shortly before leaving for Palau, in order that he might prevent embarrassment or undue suspicion from falling upon the United States or the Marine Corps should his mission be compromised. An alternate opinion, expressed by researcher Dirk Anthony Ballendorf, is that Ellis' resignation, along with the tremors and hallucinations, are attributable to depression and alcoholism. Ballendorf writes: "That the Japanese would have placed poison in his whiskey is unlikely since, for Ellis whiskey itself was poison enough."[2]
Complicating the matter further, the agent sent to investigate the circumstances of Ellis' demise died in a freak accident, and with him expired the only outside eyewitness knowledge as to the state of Ellis's corpse before it was cremated. Chief Pharmacist Lawrence Zembsch — who had treated Ellis during his hospitalization — travelled on a Japanese steamer to Palau, where he stayed at the Japanese officer's barracks (Ellis had stayed with native Palauan nobility and married a young Palauan chefress). After talking to Japanese authorities who had dealings with Ellis (including the medical officer), Zembsch witnessed and photographed the exhumation of Ellis's body and its cremation, taking custody of the remains when this was completed. Zembsch suffered a nervous breakdown on the return voyage and was admitted to a hospital in Yokohama, which was soon after buried by falling rubble in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.[3]
In the end, Ellis's maps and papers were confiscated by Japanese authorities. An inquiry undertaken at the behest of General Douglas MacArthur after the war found no trace of any of Ellis's effects, nor a report on Ellis's activities by the Japanese governor of the island.[4] It is not clear how competently Ellis performed his map-making and analysis, given his demonstrated instability in the final months of his life. The Japanese had not yet begun fortifying Palau during his sojourn there, but had Ellis survived, it is surmised that he would have completed addenda to Advanced Base Operations in Micronesia that would have presumably provided military authorities with "...useful..." information on the potential military uses of the islands.[4]In any case, Ellis's overall strategic concerns remain valid in the light of later events. Ellis is remembered today for his military intelligence work and for accurately predicting the bloody Pacific War two decades before it began.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d "LtCol. Earl Hancock Ellis", Who's Who in Marine Corps History.
- ^ a b Ballendorf (2002), "Earl Hancock Ellis: A Marine in Micronesia", p. 13.
- ^ Ballendorf (2002), "Earl Hancock Ellis: A Marine in Micronesia", pp. 13-14.
- ^ a b Ballendorf (2002), "Earl Hancock Ellis: A Marine in Micronesia", p. 14.
[edit] References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- Ballendorf, Dirk Anthony (December 2002). ""Earl Hancock Ellis: A Marine in Micronesia"". Micronesian Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences 1 (1-2).
- Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock Ellis. Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
[edit] Further reading
- Ballendorf, Dirk Anthony, Earl Hancock Ellis: A Final Assessment, Marine Corps Gazette, Vol. 74, pp. 78-87, Nov. 1990.
- Ballendorf, Dirk Anthony & Bartlett, Merrill, Pete Ellis: An Amphibious Warfare Prophet, 1880-1923, Annapolis, MD, Naval Institute Press, 1997.
