| Leonard Rochford | |
| Nickname: | "Tich" |
| Birth Date: | 11 October 1896 |
| Birth Place: | Enfield, England |
| Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | Royal Navy Royal Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1916–1919 1921 1939–1954 |
| Rank: | Squadron Leader |
| Battles: | First World War Second World War |
| Awards: | Distinguished Service Cross & Bar Distinguished Flying Cross Mentioned in Despatches |
Leonard Henry Rochford, (10 November 1896 – 17 December 1986) was a British flying ace of the First World War, credited with 29 aerial victories.[1] He returned to military service in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
Born in Enfield on 10 November 1896, Rochford attempted to join the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) at the outbreak of the First World War but was rejected as being underage. Instead he went to university and also learned to fly, being granted Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate No. 1840 after soloing an L. & P. biplane, at the London and Provincial School, Hendon, on 7 October 1915.[2]
Rochford finally joined the Royal Navy in early 1916 as a probationary temporary flight sub-lieutenant, to serve in the Royal Naval Air Service, and was confirmed in his rank on 14 May 1916. He was posted to No. 3 Naval Squadron RNAS in January 1917. Initially flying a Sopwith Pup, he gained his first three aerial victories between March and July 1917.,[1] also gaining promotion to flight lieutenant on 30 June 1917.
Rochford's squadron was then re-equipped with the Sopwith Camel, and Rochford gained two more victories in September to attain "ace" status. He gained three more victories in January 1918, and six in March, bringing his total to fourteen. On 1 April 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service was merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force (RAF), and Rochford's unit was renamed and renumbered as No. 203 Squadron RAF. He went on to gain five more victories in May, two in June, and four in July, and his final four between August and October. His 29 claims consisted of 13 enemy aircraft destroyed (including 7 shared), and 16 driven down out of control (including 5 shared).[1]
| +Combat record | ||||||
| No. | Date/Time | Aircraft/ Serial No. | Opponent | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Squadron RNAS | ||||||
| 1 | 4 March 1917 @1115 | Sopwith Pup (N5199) | Out of control | |||
| 2 | 20 May 1917 @0930 | Sopwith Pup (N6461) | Out of control | |||
| 3 | 7 July 1917 @1110 | Sopwith Pup (N6162) | Seaplane | Destroyed | Shared with Flt. Sub-Lts. James Fall, James Glen, Frederick Armstrong, & R. F. P. Abbott. | |
| 4 | 5 September 1917 @1820 | Sopwith Camel (B3807) | Albatros D.III | Out of control | ||
| 5 | 11 September 1917 @1110 | Sopwith Camel (B3798) | Out of control | Thorout | ||
| 6 | 28 January 1918 @1105 | Sopwith Camel (B6401) | Out of control | Houthoulst Forest | Shared with Flt. Sub-Lts. James Glen & C. S. Devereux. | |
| 7 | 30 January 1918 @1045 | Sopwith Camel (B6401) | Albatros D.V | Out of control | Shared with Flt. Sub-Lts. James Glen & Aubrey Ellwood. | |
| 8 | Albatros D.V | Out of control | ||||
| 9 | 12 March 1918 @1100 | Sopwith Camel (B7203) | Albatros C | Out of control | ||
| 10 | 16 March 1918 @1120 | Sopwith Camel (B7203) | Hannover C | Destroyed in flames | Shared with Flt. Sub-Lts. James Glen & Aubrey Ellwood. | |
| 11 | 21 March 1918 @1115 | Sopwith Camel (B7222) | Albatros D.V | Out of control | Shared with Flt. Sub-Lt. James Glen. | |
| 12 | 21 March 1918 @1645 | Sopwith Camel (B7203) | Albatros C | Destroyed in flames | Shared with Flt. Sub-Lts. James Glen, O. P. Adam, K. D. MacLeod, William Chisam, Aubrey Ellwood, C. S. Devereux, L. A. Sands, Ronald Berlyn, & Edwin Hayne. | |
| 13 | 22 March 1918 @1230 | Sopwith Camel (B7203) | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | ||
| 14 | 24 March 1918 @1715 | Sopwith Camel (B7203) | Albatros D.V | Out of control | ||
| No 203 Squadron RAF | ||||||
| 15 | 15 May 1918 @1140 | Sopwith Camel (B3353) | DFW C.V | Out of control | Shared with Lt. C. F. Brown. | |
| 16 | 17 May 1918 @1115–1130 | Sopwith Camel (B7197) | Destroyed | North of Estaires–Beaupre | ||
| 17 | Pfalz D.III | Destroyed in flames | North-east of Estaires | Shared with Lts. C. F. Brown, Y. E. S. Kirkpatrick, & E. R. Prideaux. | ||
| 18 | 19 May 1918 @1015 | Sopwith Camel (D3371) | DFW C.V | Destroyed | ||
| 19 | 21 May 1918 @0530 | Sopwith Camel (D3413) | DFW C.V | Destroyed | Shared with Lt. Ronald Berlyn. | |
| 20 | 5 June 1918 | Sopwith Camel (D3417) | LVG C | Out of control | La Bassée | |
| 21 | 7 June 1918 @1200 | Sopwith Camel (D3417) | Out of control | La Bassée | ||
| 22 | 20 July 1918 @1800 | Sopwith Camel (D9618) | DFW C.V | Destroyed | Shared with Lt. William Sidebottom. | |
| 23 | 22 July 1918 @0925 | Sopwith Camel (D9585) | Out of control | |||
| 24 | 22 July 1918 @1035 | Sopwith Camel (D9585) | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | ||
| 25 | 25 July 1918 @0740 | Sopwith Camel (D9618) | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | East of La Bassée | |
| 26 | 11 August 1918 @1930 | Sopwith Camel (D9618) | Fokker D.VII | Out of control | ||
| 27 | 7 September 1918 @0815 | Sopwith Camel (C197) | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | North of Bourlon Wood | |
| 28 | 9 October 1918 @1630 | Sopwith Camel (D4386) | Rumpler C | Destroyed in flames | Shared with Lt. William Sidebottom. | |
| 29 | 29 October 1918 @1515 | Sopwith Camel (D4386) | Fokker D.VII | Out of control | ||
Rochford was transferred to the RAF unemployed list on 17 April 1919, and received a mention in despatches in May "for valuable services rendered during the war". He was restored to the active list for temporary duty, with the rank of flight lieutenant, between 13 April and 4 June 1921, before being transferred back to the unemployed list.
On 9 May 1939, as the threat of war with Germany loomed, Rochford was granted a commission (Class CC) in the Reserve of Air Force Officers (RAFO), with the rank of flying officer (honorary flight lieutenant). On 1 September 1939, the day that the German invasion of Poland began, Rochford relinquished his commission in the RAFO, and was appointed a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 March 1942.
Rochford remained a reserve officer post-war, eventually relinquishing his commission on 10 February 1954, and was granted permission to retain his rank.
Rochford appeared as a contributor in the 1987 documentary 'The Cavalry of the Clouds', produced by British regional commercial television station 'HTV West'.
Rochford married Elizabeth Maud Moffet (1895–1964). They had a son, James Donald Henry Rochford (1921–1986), who joined the Royal Navy during the Second World War, to serve as a lieutenant in Combined Operations, then qualified as a barrister after the war.[3]