Sad farewell to Second World War veteran Ron Rose

With great sadness family and friends bade a final farewell to Louis Trichardt's well-known Second World War veteran, Mr Ron Rose, who passed away at the age of 96 on Saturday, 24 February.

Ronald George Rose was born on 14 August 1927 in Birmingham, England, where he attended school. After completing his studies, he started working at JP Jennings as a wholesale florist salesman from 1942 until he was called up for military service on 20 August 1943, at only 15 years old.

Ron served with the British occupation forces in Germany at Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. He spent his first three years as an air traffic controller and then two-and-a-half years as a tail gunner in B17 bombers, until he was demobbed in mid-1948. One of the stories told by Rose about his early military career was that, as an air cadet, he was asked if he would like to take a short flight in a Lancaster bomber and if he knew how to handle a machine gun? Rose enthusiastically said yes, and off he went in the Lancaster. A couple of hours later, however, Rose became suspicious as to why the “short” flight was taking so long? Only at that stage was he informed that the plane was actually on a bombing run halfway into Germany! 

After the war, Ron moved to the then Southern Rhodesia and took up employment as the chief messenger of the court/deputy sheriff in Salisbury in 1956, later to become Harare. Ron was forced to retire in 2000 when the Zimbabwe government began appointing their own candidates.

Ron met his wife, Susan (Sue), in Salisbury, and they were married on 28 July 1984. Sue was born in 1947 in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. At the time of their marriage, Sue had her own admin company, which she ran from 1983 until 2001.

In the early 2000s, Ron and Sue moved to South Africa with nothing as the Zimbabwe government had frozen/cancelled all pensions, etc. They settled in Louis Trichardt, and Ron managed to secure a pension from the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Ron was a dedicated MOTH and member of the Turbi Hills Shell Hole in Louis Trichardt. He attended as many meetings as he could, health permitting. He enjoyed the camaraderie and chatting about his time in the RAF. He had a sharp sense of humour and always insisted on laying a wreath at MOTH parades for his comrades in the RAF. He was Turbi Hills' only surviving Second World War veteran. “He will be sorely missed. Our sincere condolences to Sue,” said Ben Wolff of the Turbi Hills Shell Hole.

A memorial service will be held for Ron at the Turbi Hills Shell Hole, 66 Burger Street, Louis Trichardt, on Wednesday, 6 March, at 14:30, with the service commencing at 15:00. He is survived by his only relative, wife Sue.

To help cover the cost of Ron's funeral, totalling around R15,000, donations are welcome and can be paid into the Nedbank trust account of attorneys H Liebenberg INC, account number 1346060371, branch 198 765, with the reference "Ron Rose". Proof of payment can be sent to [email protected].

“We will remember him,” said his fellow MOTHs.

News - Date: 29 February 2024

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