Herbert Rodd was the wireless operator in the 6-man crew that were the first ever to fly across the Atlantic.

Commander Albert Read and crew, in their fuel laden Curtiss NC-4 "flying boat," lifted off the waters of the Newfoundland coast on May 16, 1919. The NC-4 was one of three four-engine Navy planes attempting the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. On the first day each plane fared well. They maintained constant radio contact with Navy ships positioned at 50-mile intervals along the route. Conditions changed on the second day. Dense fog and heavy rains forced the NC-1 and NC-3 to land at sea. All of the crewmen were rescued, but the two airplanes were damaged beyond repair. The NC-4 continued through the fog and bad weather to the Azores Island and waited for the weather to clear. The NC-4 reached Lisbon, Portugal, on May 27, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airplane in 27 hours' flight time.

This feat was accomplished a scant 19 days before two British flyers, John Alcock and Albert Brown, made the first non-stop transatlantic air flight, crossing from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16.5 hours on June 15, 1919.