Sqn Ldr Nigel Rose
Did battle with the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain
SQUADRON LEADER NIGEL ROSE, who has died aged 99, flew Spitfires during the height of the Battle of Britain when he engaged enemy bombers and fighters on regular occasions.
He had joined No 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron in June 1940 when it was based in Scotland. On August 13 the squadron moved to Westhampnett, a satellite of Tangmere near Chichester, arriving as a fierce battle raged overhead. The Luftwaffe had begun its heavy attacks against the RAF’S radar stations and fighter airfields. Within two days the squadron was in action when Rose attacked a force of Junker 88 bombers bombing nearby airfields.
On August 25 he was airborne during the late afternoon when his section sighted enemy aircraft over Dorchester. Rose attacked a Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter and fired a six-second burst with his machine guns. The enemy aircraft broke away emitting white smoke and Rose dived after it and saw it explode as it hit the ground.
On September 7 he shared in the destruction of another Bf 110, but a few days later he was injured when his Spitfire was badly damaged during fierce fighting over the Channel. The aircraft went into a dive and he prepared to bail out but was able to regain control and return to his airfield, where he landed without the aid of the flaps or wheel brakes. He described the encounter as “a near thing” and returned to flying a month later.
After a period of relative inactivity, the Luftwaffe launched a major attack on October 29 when fighterbombers headed for London. No 602 was scrambled to engage the fighter escort and the Spitfires intercepted a force of Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Biggin Hill. Rose was flying at 23,000 feet when he attacked one of the enemy fighters. Smoke poured from the aircraft as bits of cowling and fuselage broke away but Rose was only able to claim a “probable”. In the event, this turned out to be the last attack during the period that became known as the Battle of Britain, although Rose was in action again on November 6 when he attacked a Junkers 88 bomber.
In December the squadron was relieved and returned to Scotland. He was mentioned in despatches.
Stuart Nigel Rose was born on June 21 1918. After leaving Felsted School in Essex he trained as a quantity surveyor and in 1939 he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve to train. After completing his training as a fighter pilot and receiving his commission he joined No 602 Squadron equipped with the Spitfire.
In September 1941 Rose joined No 54 Squadron and flew sweeps over France before beginning a series of appointments as a fighter and gunnery instructor in Britain and the Middle East. He left the RAF in February 1946 and later received the Air Efficiency Award. In 1948 he qualified as a chartered quantity surveyor and enjoyed a long and successful career as senior partner of Nigel Rose and Partners.
Rose found the fictionalised accounts of the Battle of Britain very variable. He was impressed by the eponymous 1969 film, but was strongly critical of the novel and film Piece of Cake. He was an active member of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association and made regular appearances at the annual service in Westminster Abbey. He was a strong supporter of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, attending the annual remembrance days at the memorial at Capel-le-ferne.
A self-effacing and modest figure, he was a keen gardener and also loved music. He spent many hours studying the history of his family.
Nigel Rose married Pamela Anding in 1941. She died in 1988 and he is survived by their daughter, the novelist Barbara Erskine.