copyright © Wartime Heritage Association 2012-2022
Website hosting courtesy of Register.com - a web.com company
Wartime Heritage
ASSOCIATION
Remembering World War II
Yarmouth Connections
Harold Melville Rogers
Rank:
Flying Officer
Service No.
J/10755
Service:
Royal Canadian Air Force
421 Squadron
Date of Birth:
August 4, 1914
Place of Birth:
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Date of Enlistment:
July 23, 1941
Place of Enlistment:
Ottawa, Ontario
Address at Enlistment:
36 Charles St., Ottawa, Ontario
Age at Enlistment:
26
Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
Complexion: ruddy
Hair: black
Eyes: hazel
Weight: 155 lbs
Employment:
Clerk, Civil Service
Marital Status:
Single
Religion:
United Church of Canada
Next of Kin:
Rev. Dr. Alfred S. Rogers (Father) Oxford, NS
Harold was born August 4, 1914 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the son of the Revd. Alfred Seymour Rogers and Mabel Gertrude
Rogers. He was Baptised at the United Church in Yarmouth on January 7, 1915. He was the brother of Alfred Allison Rogers (Senior
Chaplain, Atlantic Coast Command, H.M.C. Dockyard, Halifax, NS - 1943) and Helen Gertrude (Mrs. DeBlois, Toronto - 1943).
In 1920, the family had moved to Amherst, NS where Harold attended Public school between 1920 and 1927. In 1927 the
family was in St. John, NB where Harold attended St. John High School between 1927 and 1931. He attended Mount Allison
University between 1931 and 11934 where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts and the University of Toronto between 1934 and 1940
where he obtained a Doctorate in Biology. He served as an Assistant in the Biology Department of the University of Toronto
between 1935 and 1940 when he left to join the Civil Service as a Clerk Biologist with the National Parks Bureau in Ottawa. He
left the Civil Service to join the RCAF in February, 1941.
During his university days he played football, hockey, and basketball and enjoyed tennis, skating, and skiing.
Training as a pilot was at St. Lambert, Valcartier, and Victoriaville, in Quebec, at Stanley in Nova Scotia and Moncton in New
Brunswick. He arrived in the United Kingdom on May 12, 1942 and was posted to No. 5 AFU (Advanced Flying Unit) on June 6, 1942
and was then posted to No. 61 OTU (Operational Training Unit). On October 23, 1942 he was posted to 421 Squadron.
421 Squadron became operational in May 1942 and while brief periods of combat duty were encountered, the Squadron
spend many months on convoy patrol. In January 1943, the Squadron left South Wales and joined the Canadian Wing at HMS Kenley
using HMS Redhill as a forward base, an active station in the front line of the air offensive being waged over Northern France.
From here the Squadron flew bomber escort patrols, fighter sweeps and ground strafing, with the occasional scramble against
enemy bombers.
At 11:47 am on April 3, 1943 Flying Officer Rogers took off with the Squadron on an operational flight and immediately after
the take off his Spitfire V. B.(BL 658) aircraft did a spiral dive into the ground and he was killed instantly. He had lost control of
the plane when entering the slipstream of another aircraft during the take off.
His funeral took place at Radhill, Surrey on Tuesday, April 6 at 11:00 am. The service was conducted by Flight Lieutenant J.
Jolley, a Canadian Chaplain in the church, after which his body was interred in the churchyard of Redhill. Full Service Honours
were accorded, the coffin being carried by Officers of 421 Squadron, which also provided an escort party. The coffin was covered
with the Union Jack and the Last Post was sounded at the end. Wreaths were sent from the Officers of 421 Squadron, RAF Officers
and Flying Officer D. A. Brewster. In a letter to Harold’s parents, Commanding Officer Green wrote, “Hal was very popular with
all personnel of this Squadron, and his presence is sorely missed around the Officers’ Mess.”
Date of Death:
April 3, 1943
Age at Death:
28
Cemetery:
Reigate (Redstone) Cemetery, Surrey, UK
Grave 58
Commemorated on Page 208 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance
Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 27
(Not listed on the Yarmouth War Memorial)
Sources and Information:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Veterans Affairs Canada
findagrave.com
Harold Melville Rogers
Photo: julia&keld (Find A Grave) November 17, 2008