In June 1963, mere months prior to his untimely demise, US President John F Kennedy undertook an undisclosed visit to Lincolnshire during his last foreign tour. Following the delivery of his renowned “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in Germany, and trips to Ireland and the UK, JFK arrived at RAF Waddington, near Lincoln, on 29th June. His visit was not defined by diplomatic affairs, but rather a poignant personal pursuit. The president was welcomed by a party including station commander Gp Capt Finch and Lincolnshire’s chief constable, before he travelled on a US Sikorsky military helicopter to Derbyshire to visit his sister Kathleen’s grave.
Christopher Dean of the RAF Waddington Heritage Centre points out that the base was strategically chosen as the “largest close airfield to Chatsworth House”, where Kathleen lies. While the visit was kept low-profile, it remains an indelible recollection for the locals. Terry Wells, a Waddington inhabitant, remembers how security was tightened on that sunny Saturday, with the generally accessible base cordoned off to inquisitive youngsters.
Peter Cake, another resident, narrates a personal link via his grandfather, Sidney, an employee of what is now BT. Sidney was instrumental in ensuring secure phone lines during JFK’s visit, which earned him a letter of appreciation from the White House, a memento cherished by Peter.
Among those in attendance was David Edwards, father of BBC reporter Sharon Edwards, who manned air traffic control when JFK descended. Present in JFK’s delegation was his sister Jean and Defence Secretary Robert McNamara. After a few hours, they returned to RAF Waddington, and re-boarded Air Force One to proceed to Sussex for a session with Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
Lincolnshire had connections with the Kennedy family even prior to this. In 1938, Joseph Kennedy, serving as the US ambassador to the UK then, gave an influential speech from the Fydell House garden in Boston, Lincolnshire, underscoring the links between the UK town and its US counterpart.
This narrative originated from a story reported by www.bbc.com and was adapted by The Lincoln Post.
