On 14 July 1940 Elkington received a permanent commission, and the next day he joined No 1 Squadron at Northolt. He underwent further training with the Northolt Sector Training Flight during the second half of the month and on the 27th made his first operational flight.
He destroyed a Bf 109 on 15 August. His combat report for that event read: “I was Green 2 of Squadron 1. When patrolling due east from Martlesham at 10,000 feet, an Me 109 approached me from head-on and to the left 1,000 feet below. The e/a started to climb and turn to the left but I turned sharp left and came in behind him and gave him one short burst with no known effect.
“I again fired at the e/a from astern as it straightened out and went into a steep climb. I gave it a 2 second burst from astern and above. The engine of the e/a belched fumes and it turned over on its back, staying there for about 2 seconds. I then circled round and saw no one get out.”
The next day Elkington was in Flight Sergeant Berry’s section when the squadron was ordered off to patrol Portsmouth. A large force of enemy aircraft was encountered and Elkington’s Hurricane was hit by a cannon shell in the starboard fuel tank and burst into flames.
He baled out near the Nab light, east of the Isle of Wight. Berry followed him and with his slipstream he blew Elkington over land at West Wittering. Elkington was taken to hospital at Chichester; his aircraft crashed and burned out at Manor Farm, Chidham. Flight Sergeant Berry, DFM was killed in action on 1 September.
Elkington rejoined No 1 Squadron on 1 October. He probably destroyed a Ju 88 on the 9th and shared in the destruction of a Do 215 on the 27th.
He became an instructor in April 1941 but joined No 601 Squadron in late May, moving on in July to No 134 Squadron, which was then re-forming for service in Russia. The squadron embarked on HMS Argus and on 7 September flew to the airfield at Vaenga, near Murmansk.
During September and early October, 134 took part in bomber escorts and airfield defence. In mid-October it began training Russian pilots on Hurricanes, which were handed over at the end of the month. While in Russia Elkington shared in the destruction of a Ju 88.
In mid-November 1941, the squadron pilots began the journey home, making their way in three minesweepers to Archangel and sailing from there in HMS Berwick. Elkington returned in the MV Empire Baffin, carrying minerals as part of Convoy QP 3. He was escorting an injured pilot.
Tim Elkington had a number of further operational postings, including in India. He returned to the UK in October 1946 and retired from the RAF in December 1975 as a Wing Commander. In 2014 Elkington received the Ushakov Medal from the Russian Ambassador in London.
