The Pilots of 41 Squadron RAF, 1939-1945

Surnames Commencing with R


Name RAKE, Derek Shannon Vaughan
Number 124494
Rank Flight Lieutenant
Nationality British
Born Alderholt, Dorset, 26 May 1922
Arrived 24 February 1945
Departed 5 August 1945
Decorations AFC (1951), OBE (1955), Bar to AFC (1960)
Notes Commissioned June 1942; shot down 41 Squadron's 200th and last victory of WWII on 3 May 1945; retired March 1976, rtng. Group Captain

Name RANGER, Geoffrey Harold
Number 60082
Rank Pilot Officer
Nationality British
Born Cheam, Surrey, 17 April 1919
Arrived 11 March 1941
Departed 13 November 1941
Decorations DFC (1942)
Notes Commissioned January 1941; KIA whilst serving with 250 Squadron, 16 December 1941, aged 23; son of Clarence P. & Marjorie I. Ranger of Cheam, Surrey; buried in Tobruk War Cemetery, Libya, Grave 7. P. 6

Name RAYNER, Ronald
Number 988751
Rank Sergeant Pilot
Nationality British
Born Manchester, 8 September 1921
Arrived 9 June 1941
Departed 16 February 1942
Notes Commissioned June 1942

Name REFSHAUGE, John George Hamilton 'Ref'
Number 409447
Rank Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant
Nationality Australian
Born Sandringham, Victoria, Australia, 28 April 1919
Term 1 14 April-9 June 1944 (WIA and hospitalised)
Term 2 10 September 1944-14 January 1945
Decorations OBE (1978), AM (1987)
Notes Commissioned July 1942; discharged, January 1946; re-enlisted in RAAF Reserve, October 1952; died 1999

Name REID, Daniel Joseph 'Denny'
Number 401666
Rank Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant
Nationality Australian
Born Yarraville, Victoria, Australia, 28 April 1920
Arrived 3 August 1944
Departed 25 March 1945
Decorations DFC (1945)
Notes Commissioned December 1941; WIA by flak & hospitalised, 25 March 1945 until end of war; demobbed, August 1946; ordained after war, becoming Reverend Father Urban Reid; died 1 May 1993, aged 72; see also 41 Squadron Claims the War's First Arado 234 Jet, 25 February 1945

Name REMEZ, Aharon
Number 605523
Rank Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer
Nationality Palestinian (Israeli after the establishment of the state of Israel)
Born Tel Aviv, Palestine, 8 May 1919
Arrived 10 April 1945
Departed 31 March 1946
Notes Became the first CO of the Israeli Air Force, 1948; Israeli Ambassador to UK, 1965-1970; Director-General of the Israeli Ports Authority, 1970-1977; Chairman, Israeli Aviation Authority, 1977-1981; died 3 April 1994

Name RIGGS, William Charles 'Billy'
Number 1194930
Rank Sergeant Pilot
Nationality British
Born Alderholt, Dorset, 8 March 1922
Arrived 11 November 1941
Departed 2 December 1941
Notes KIFA in 8 AACU Hurricane II, near Tisbury, Dorset, 29 August 1942, aged 20; son of Robert & Elsie C. M. Riggs of Shaftesbury, Dorset; buried in the central section of St. Thomas Chrurchyard Extension, Melbury Abbas, Dorset

Name ROBERTS, Peter Hugh Percy
Number 1211364
Rank Flight Sergeant
Nationality British
Born Gillingham, Dorset, 20 August 1922
Arrived 25 August 1942
Departed ca. 15 December 1942 (Last mentioned in ORB on this date)
Decorations King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air (1952)
Notes Commissioned November 1943; retired November 1960, retaining Squadron Leader

Name ROBERTSON, Colin 'Robbie'
Number 33412
Rank Pilot Officer
Nationality British
Born 11 March 1917
Arrived 17 December 1938
Departed 24 October 1939
Decorations DFC (1940)
Notes Commissioned December 1938; KIFA in 25 Squadron Mosquito II, DD754, near Filey, Yorkshire, 12 December 1943

Name ROBERTSON, Colin Stuart 'Robbie'
Number 421627
Rank Flight Sergeant
Nationality Australian
Born Ashfield, NSW, Australia, 7 March 1918
Arrived 8 June 1944
Departed 22 August 1944
Notes Commissioned November 1944; discharged, 11 February 1946

Name ROBINSON, Kenneth Basil 'Robbie'
Number 1126985 / 139816
Rank Sergeant Pilot / Pilot Officer, Flying Officer
Nationality Irish
Born Killiney, Dublin, Ireland, 14 April 1922
Arrived 1 July 1942
Departed 7 June 1944
Notes Commissioned January 1943; hit by flak and baled out but died of hypothermia before he could be picked up by ASR Walrus, off Guernsey, 7 June 1944, aged 22; son of Ernest S. & Lilian M. Robinson of Monkstown, Co. Dublin, Ireland; buried in Buckland Monachorum Cemetery, Devon, England, Section R.1., Grave 9

Name ROGOWSKI, Jan Aleksander
Number P.781018
Rank Flight Sergeant
Nationality Polish
Born Budzanów, Poland, 3 January 1920
Arrived 28 December 1942
Departed 14 April 1943
Decorations Polish KW [Krzyz Walecznych / Cross of Valour] (1943?)
Notes KIA over Bergues, France, whilst serving with 315 (Polish) Squadron RAF, 28 May 1943; buried in Grave C 2 of Pihen-les-Guines Cemetery, Calais, France

Name ROOD, Albert van 'Peter'
Number 111131
Rank Pilot Officer
Nationality Dutch
Born Maastricht, Netherlands, 22 May 1916
Arrived 9 December 1941
Departed 12 April 1942
Decorations MiD (1947)
Notes Commissioned November 1941; shot down, WIA and captured, St. Omer, France, 12 April 1942; initially held in Stalag Luft III, but escaped, September 1942; recaptured and sent to Oflag 4C Colditz; liberated April 1945; retired to Australia, where he died 1999

Name ROSSOW, Vivian James 'Bill'
Number 414835
Rank Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer
Nationality Australian
Born Nanango, Queensland, Australia, 26 September 1918
Arrived 3 August 1944
Departed 19 July 1945
Notes Discharged 17 January 1946

Name ROWE, Malcolm P. [Middle name?]
Number 926918
Rank Flight Sergeant
Nationality British
Born Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, 26 January 1920
Arrived 3 November 1942
Departed 27 April 1943
Notes Appears to have served with 41 Squadron as Staff Pilot; little further known about this pilot

Name RYDER, Edgar Norman
Number 39193
Rank Pilot Officer, Flying Officer, Flight Lieutenant
Nationality British
Born Risalpur, India, 28 November 1914
Arrived 30 June 1937 (att. SHQ Catterick for Admin. Duties, 7 February-22 July 1939)
Departed 31 December 1940
Decorations DFC (1940), Bar to DFC (1941), MiD (1945)
Notes Commissioned October 1936; shot down and captured, whilst CO of Kenley Wing, 31 October 1941; retired October 1960, retaining Group Captain; died October 1995

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