Nigel Rose (21 June 1918 – 10 September 2017)

Nigel Rose joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in December 1938. Upon the outbreak of war in September 1939, he was drafted into full time pilot training.

After completing training in June 1940, he joined 602 squadron at Drem, flying Spitfires. He and his squadron were engaged in combat from August 1940. He was wounded a month later, putting him out of action for a month before returning to duty.

Later in the wat he was posted across the UK and then to the Middle East in 1944. He was released from the RAF in February 1946.

After the war he continued his training to be a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in June 1948, which he had started before joining up.

Rose was a regular supporter of the Museum and very pleased that the aspirations of the Few were met when the museum opened. He is pictured below (back row, far right behind chair) at a dinner at Bentley Priory in 2012, joined by other Battle of Britain veterans.

Bentley Priory 2