The ship HMS Sheffield is rightly celebrated in its home city, but the city’s aeroplane with that name in the previous world war is almost forgotten. At the time, its presentation to the Imperial Air Fleet was treated as “historic”, apparently watched by 80,000 people. The plane was sponsored by members of the Cutlers’ Company, for service in the Western Front. It was sent on its way from Coal Aston air-field (later termed Norton aerodrome) on 29 September 1917, in an event attended by lo