Kenneth and
his parents, John Willard and Ethel Florence
Rosevear
(picture courtesy of the Rosevear Family)
badge on 9
May 1942, his navigator badge on 23 July
1942.
He was posted
overseas July 30, 1942, leaving from
Halifax. In England he joined 428 Squadron
operating out of Middleton St George. The squadron flew
Wellington bombers at the time. Kenneth was
promoted to Flight Sergeant in November
1942.
Group picture
with Kenneth seated, 4th from left. Probably
taken at the end of his observer course.
(picture courtesy of the Rosevear Family)
His crew
first flew together on 29 January 1943.
On 4/5 April 1943,
119 Wellington of Canadian squadrons and 23
Halifaxes of two other Canadian squadrons,
together with bombers from other squadrons
in Bomber Command, attacked the German city
of Kiel. It would the crew's 13th
mission.
F/L Tighe
piloted Wellington X HE432, coded NA-C on
this mission. The rest of his crew consisted
of:
F/O Howard
Irwin
F/S Kenneth Rosevear
F/S William Heslip
F/S Lawrence Ryan
F/L Robert
Tighe and crew. F/L Tighe is on the right.
F/S Rosevear is in the middle. F/O Howard
Irwin on the left,
F/S William Heslip and
F/S Lawrence Ryan. (Picture courtesy of
Rosevear Family)
F/L Tighe and
his crew failed to return. It is not known
how their Wellington was lost. The body of
F/L Tighe washed ashore on the Dutch coast
and was buried in Wierum. F/S Lawrence
Ryan's body washed ashore on the German
coast and is today buried at Sage War
Cemetery. The others are still missing and
are commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial.
F/S Heslip
was posthumously promoted to the rank of
Pilot Officer.
F/S Kenneth
Rosevear is commemorated at the Runnymede
Memorial.
(picture
courtesy of Rosevear family)