Towards the end of a long and distinguished career, Sir Fred Rosier was persuaded by his son David to write his autobiography. He did so and the result is an extremely engaging and enlightening account of his life to the end of the Second World War.
Starting with his humble beginnings to his time as a prewar fighter pilot on 43 Squadron at Tangmere; seeing action in France with 229 Squadron where he was shot down and burnt; his return as CO of that squadron during the Battle of Britain; taking 229 to the Western Desert, becoming one of two Fighter Wing commanders there; and then being appointed Group Captain Ops in 84 Fighter Group for the invasion, on through Europe, to the demise of Germany. David Rosier and his mother then completed the story up to Sir Fred’s final appointments in the RAF as the last C-in-C of Fighter Command in 1968 and Deputy C-in-C Allied Forces Central Europe in 1973. Sir Fred was an inveterate letter writer, extracts from many of which appear in the book, and with a superb collection of photographs, this long-overdue account will be welcomed by anyone interested in one of the RAF’s major personalities.
Starting with his humble beginnings to his time as a prewar fighter pilot on 43 Squadron at Tangmere; seeing action in France with 229 Squadron where he was shot down and burnt; his return as CO of that squadron during the Battle of Britain; taking 229 to the Western Desert, becoming one of two Fighter Wing commanders there; and then being appointed Group Captain Ops in 84 Fighter Group for the invasion, on through Europe, to the demise of Germany. David Rosier and his mother then completed the story up to Sir Fred’s final appointments in the RAF as the last C-in-C of Fighter Command in 1968 and Deputy C-in-C Allied Forces Central Europe in 1973. Sir Fred was an inveterate letter writer, extracts from many of which appear in the book, and with a superb collection of photographs, this long-overdue account will be welcomed by anyone interested in one of the RAF’s major personalities.
