Royalty observed a simulated air evacuation in Essex marking 100 years since the first recorded British ambulance flight.
The Duke of Gloucester witnessed a BE2 First World War fighter plane carry out the rescue at Stow Maries Aerodrome – Europe’s oldest surviving airbase from the conflict.
It commemorated a flight made in 1917 when a soldier was flown to safety from the Sinai desert after being shot in the ankle during a raid, with the journey lasting 45 minutes instead of the three days by camel.
The heritage flight, on Thursday, May 11, was also part of the official opening of a second museum at the aerodrome, which was formed to protect from german zeppelin raids and launched its first operational flight in May 1917.
The Royal Flying Corps Home Defence museum opened at the aerodrome last year, and a museum to 37 Squadron was officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester on Thursday.
The duke spent time talking to Betty Hay, daughter of Captain Steven Hay GM AFC, Flight Commander, 37 Squadron, and John Guiver, nephew of Amy Guiver, WRAF, RFC Stow Maries.
Mrs Hay, speaking about her father, said: “He flew a Sopwith Camel and a BE2. Because they were in an open cockpit, when they came back they were frozen solid, and had to be helped out of the aircraft.”
The museum at Stow Maries will open six days per week, and work is under way to develop an engineering education programme.
Ian Flint, chief executive of Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Trust, said: “We want to bring the site back to its former glory and bring the stories of these incredible people and their bravery back into the public mindset 100 years after their work finished.”
By the end of the First World War, up to 500 people and around 36 aircraft were based at Stow Maries, which was closed in 1919 after the RAF was founded and services were centralised at Biggin Hill.
The site was used for farming until the trust bought the site in 2014.
Around £4million has been raised to date to fund the museums, and more than 140 volunteers are helping to restore the aerodrome, which originally had 47 buildings and has 21 remaining.
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