Thomas Rose (RAF officer) facts for kids

Thomas Rose DFC (born January 27, 1895 – died June 20, 1968) was a very skilled British pilot. He was known as "Tommy" Rose. He became a flying ace during World War I, which means he shot down 11 enemy aircraft.

After the war, he continued to fly. He even won a famous air race called the King's Cup in 1935. From 1939 to 1945, he worked as a Chief Test Pilot. This meant he was the first person to fly new airplanes to make sure they were safe.

Flying in World War I

Tommy Rose joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. This was the air force of Britain at the time. He flew planes called DH.5s with No. 64 Squadron.

His squadron helped in the Battle of Cambrai. They attacked targets on the ground. Later, they got new planes called SE5as. These planes were better for fighting other aircraft in the sky.

Tommy Rose became a very successful pilot. He was given the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) award in November 1918. This award is for bravery while flying.

After the War: Military Service

After World War I ended, Tommy Rose stayed in the air force. He became a flight commander in No. 43 Squadron. He served there from 1925 to 1927.

A Career in Civilian Aviation

After leaving the Royal Air Force, Tommy Rose continued his passion for flying. He worked at Brooklands, which was a famous place for racing and flying planes. He even helped open Britain's first gas station for airplanes there in 1927.

He was very good at flying tricks and showed them off in public. In 1935, he won the important Kings Cup Air Race. He flew a special plane called the Miles M.3 Falcon. The next year, he set a new record. He flew the same plane from the United Kingdom all the way to Cape Town, South Africa, in just over three days!

Later, he became the Chief Test Pilot for a company called Phillips & Powis Aircraft Ltd. (which later became Miles Aircraft Ltd.). This was a very important job. He was the first person to fly many new types of planes. These included the Miles M.20/2 fighter and the Miles M.57 Aerovan. He tested these planes during World War II to make sure they were ready for use.

Later in Life

Thomas Rose spent some of his retirement living on Alderney, one of the Channel Islands. There is a special blue plaque on his house there. It tells people that a famous person once lived in that spot.