Leonard Henry Rochford DSC

Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)

The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...

 & Bar

Medal bar

A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...

, DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...

 (10 November 1893 – 17 December 1986) was a British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Flying Ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 with twenty-nine credited victories.

Involvement in World War I

Born in Enfield in 1896, Rochford attempted to join the Royal Naval Air Service

Royal Naval Air Service

The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...

 (RNAS) at the start of war but was rejected as being too young. He learned to fly with London & Provincial Aviation Company

Stag Lane Aerodrome

Stag Lane Aerodrome was a private aerodrome between 1915 and 1933 located in Edgware, London, UK.-History:The land for an aerodrome was purchased by the London & Provincial Aviation Company during October 1915. The company used the aerodrome for flying training during the First World War...

, qualifying on 7 October 1915 and joined the RNAS in May 1916. After a period of training he was posted to 3 Naval Squadron

No. 203 Squadron RAF

No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.-First World War:...

 in January 1917. He remained with this unit until the end of the war.

Rochford shot down his first enemy aircraft, an Albatros D-I scout, on 4 May 1917, whilst flying a Sopwith Pup

Sopwith Pup

The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...

.

His 29 claims consisted of 13 destroyed enemy craft (including 7 shared), and 16 driven down out of control (including 5 shared).