Celebrating 100 Years of Aviation on our Doorstep

In 1925, a field one mile south of Odiham village in Hampshire was identified as a possible location for an aircraft landing strip.

 

One hundred years later and that airstrip has grown into RAF Odiham; home to the UK’s Chinook Force – providing rapid support for military operations across the world.

 

This year, LWC is proud to join with the wider community in marking one hundred years of local aviation. Based just over three miles away from the front line support helicopter base, the College has enjoyed strong links with RAF Odiham for decades.

 

“The enduring relationship between RAF Odiham and Lord Wandsworth College is built on mutual respect, shared values and a long history of support,” explains Group Captain Sarah Moorehead, Station Commander at RAF Odiham. “We are proud to stand alongside a school that champions service, leadership, and community at its core.”

 

RAF Odiham didn’t come into existence until 1937 – 12 years after the Air Ministry first purchased land at Downs Farm. Rumour has it that upon being invited to open the site as a permanent airfield, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe, General Erhard Milch declared: ‘When we conquer England, Odiham will be my air headquarters’ and promptly ordered his pilots never to bomb the site. Whilst this has never been proven, RAF Odiham did escape the bombings of WW2 and has become a key feature of the local community ever since.

 

Ian Kerr joined LWC in 1970 as a Teacher of English and History. He became Contingent Commander of the LWC Combined Cadet Force in 1990 and remains an Officer Commanding of the RAF Section. He has fond memories of the role that RAF Odiham has played in the lives of generations of LWC cadets.

 

“Our very proximity to RAF Odiham and the constant movement of the Chinooks has a significant influence and we are proud of our connection with the base,” he admits. “It’s a real privilege and comfort for cadets to see and hear the constant reminder of such a busy base right on our doorstep.”

 

“We flew down the M3 motorway towards London and proceeded to fly low-level along the River Thames, making a circuit around the London Eye…One cadet was able to phone his mother, who was working in one of the nearby buildings to tell her that he was on the Chinook that was about to fly past her office window!”

— Alex Hamilton, LWC CCF Contingent Commander

 

Ian’s relationship with RAF Odiham stretches back to his earliest days at the College, when he played in the same rugby team as many of those based ‘just down the road’.

 

“I could phone 33 Squadron Ops on a Friday afternoon to see if there were any suitable flights going out during our CCF sessions,” he explains. “If it was possible, we would either then arrange a ‘pick-up’ from College or I could walk the cadets to 33 Squadron from LWC and directly in through the South Gate.

 

“There were some memorable trips involving RAF Odiham, including a London heli-lanes sortie, which saw us return via RAF Northolt, Heathrow and the flight line of Tridents. We were back at school that day in time for tea. On another occasion, we were picked up from Sutton House by a Puma and dropped on the Sussex Downs for a navigational exercise, near Midhurst. We were later picked up and returned in snow flurries to Sutton House Sports Field.”

   

Current CCF Contingent Commander at LWC, Alex Hamilton also has a few memorable trips to reflect upon, during his time at the helm of the cadet force.

 

“The real standout moment was a few years ago, on a cadet visit to the base, when we were asked if we would like a flight in the Chinooks. Obviously, we said yes! We were then hurried aboard two aircraft with their rotors turning. These two Chinooks took off from Odiham, flew down the M3 motorway towards London and proceeded to fly low-level along the River Thames, making a circuit around the London Eye. We suddenly realised that all of the tourists’ cameras on the London Eye were trained on us and not the sights of the capital! One cadet was able to phone his mother, who was working in one of the nearby buildings to tell her that he was on the Chinook that was about to fly past her office window!”

 

Over the years, other notable moments have included the Blessing of the LWC CCF Banners in October 2021. This involved a Chinook from RAF Odiham making a low pass of the ceremony, before landing behind the assembled school. Students were later invited to look around the aircraft and ask questions.

 

In June of this year, seven LWC cadets were invited to represent the College in the Odiham Freedom Parade. The event was a civic celebration, bestowing the Freedom of the Parish on the military base.  

 

“We also have Field Days at RAF Odiham,” Mr Hamilton continues. “Our RAF Section goes to the base and is able to visit the Chinook squadrons, see the Control Tower, view the aircraft and hear firsthand from pilots and air crew.”

 

The base has also supplied a Chinook to carry LWC cadets into demonstration section attacks on mock enemy positions within the College grounds. “The cadets and staff loved the involvement of RAF Odiham,” admits Alex. “Being able to fly on board the Chinook was as though they were being deployed on a real tactical manoeuvre.”

 

As RAF Odiham and the local community comes together to celebrate a century of aviation, those who have helped to foster the relationship between the base and Lord Wandsworth College are in no doubt of its value.

 

“The relationship is one of mutual respect and a sense of working towards a common purpose,” reveals Alex Hamilton. “This is both in the wider sense of promoting the future of the Royal Air Force and giving the community a share in the benefits of having an RAF presence in the local area. The cadets of the CCF’s RAF Sections are the airmen and airwomen of the future and giving them a taste of what the RAF can offer allows them to see the benefits.”

 

Photo credit: RAF Odiham