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Falklands' Veteran hero paratrooper who acted on a BBC show on the war dies in air crash

Chris Waddington, who lived in Herefordshire, recently appeared in a BBC TV show to mark 40 years since the Falklands War.

An inquest has been opened into the death of Chris Waddington, the Falklands War Veteran who was tragically killed in a plane crash in Herefordshire reports the HerefordTimes. The Parachute Regiment veteran, who served for more than 20 years in the British Armed Forces, was killed five days before his 60th birthday when the plane he was flying hit the ground at Shobdon Airfield, near Leominster.

Veteran Chris Waddington, was pronounced dead at the scene. The hero pilot Mr Waddington, who lived in Herefordshire, recently appeared in a BBC TV show to mark 40 years since the Falklands War. Our Falklands War: A Frontline Story was the story of 10 ordinary men who fought alongside each other on the front line.

Mr Waddington, 59, was among them. He was a second lieutenant at the time of the war in 1982, the most junior officer rank. He had only recently finished his training at Sandhurst when, at the age of 19, he was called to lead a platoon of 20 men into the first battle of the Falklands War.

He was nicknamed ‘Boy Wonder’ such was his enthusiasm for his job. After coming of age in the war, he remained a paratrooper for more than 20 years, serving in Bosnia and Iraq. In recent years he has followed his passion of recreational flying, owning a Pitts biplane, and he also worked in private security.

An inquest into his death was formally opened at Herefordshire Coroners Court on Friday, and adjourned so evidence could be gathered. A statement from coroners officer Margaret Oliver was read in court, saying the body was identified from a picture and video.

Mr Waddington, who worked as a security consultant, had been flying the single-seat light aircraft and for reasons not currently known, lost control and hit the ground. An Air Accident Investigations Branch probe is currently underway, with staff attending the crash site in the hours after the crash. The inquest was adjourned so further information could be obtained, Mr Wooderson said, including the circumstances of the plane crashing.

A date of November 21 for the inquest was proposed, but he warned that this could change.