John Elliot (Royal Navy Officer) - Last Years of War

Last Years of War

Elliot further distinguished himself by cutting out a French brig laden with naval stores from under the guns of a French shore battery at Belle Île on 17 May 1760. Aeolus was badly damaged during the action, and returned to port to be repaired. While these were being carried out it is possible that Elliot was temporarily appointed to command the 44-gun HMS Gosport, aboard which he escorted an outward bound merchant convoy headed to the Baltic. However, Elliot's records are often confused (or have been intermingled) with those of Captain John Eliot (1742–1769), who may have commanded Gosport instead. With this service completed, and repairs on Aeolus being finished, Elliot resumed command of her, and spent 1761 cruising in the Bay of Biscay. He captured a 4-gun French privateer named Carnival on 23 March, and brought her into Spithead. On his arrival there he was appointed to command the 70-gun HMS Chichester. He spent the rest of the war in command of Chichester, going out to the Mediterranean in the later stages with Sir Charles Saunders's fleet, but they did not see any action.