The first aircraft toland at Waddington Aerodrome was a Bristol Scout from the RNAS Training Establishment,Cranwell, in early September 1916 (the exact date is unknown). It was flown by Sub-Lt Leonard “Tich”Rochford who described the occasion in his autobiography “I Chose the Sky”.
The following morning, I took the Bristol [Scout] up to 10,000 feet andthen commenced a spiral descent. It wasa fine day but rather misty and when I came out of the spiral at 4,000 feet Iwas lost. I flew around awhile torecognise a landmark and then found myself over a town, which happened to beLincoln though I did not know it. Soon Isaw below me an aerodrome under construction and there I landed.
It was Waddington which in World War Two was an important bomberstation. There was only a small contingentthere in the charge of a lieutenant. None of them was able to swing my propeller but the lieutenant put at mydisposal a Ford “Tin Lizzie” car with a driver, who took me to Lincoln toborrow an RFC mechanic to start up my machine. The ford stalled on the steep hill into Lincoln as its fuel tank wasnearly empty and the petrol would not flow into the carburettor. However the driver backed the car down thehill, turned it round, and ascended the hill in reverse gear. Having collected a mechanic we returned withhim to Waddington where he got the gnome engine started and I arrived back atCranwell at about 1 o’clock. After twomore flights in the Bristol I was told I had completed my flying training andhad been awarded my Wings.
Lt Rochford DSC*; DFCsurvived the war: he went on to become a 29 victory Ace usually flying aSopwith Camel with No 3 Sqn RNAS which became No 203 Sqn RAF in April 1918.