One of South Africa's most distinguished and decorated airmen, Lt. General Robert H. D. 'Bob' Rogers, former South African Air Force Chief of Staff from 1975 until 1979, passed away at 78, on June 3rd in Cape Town, RSA, after a long ill-ness.

As a youth Rogers had interrupted his study of medicine to join the SAAF in 1940 as an aerial gunner, then on to pilot training and reconnaissance pilot duty in North Africa with RAF. Rejoining SAAF he flew Hurricanes and Spitfires in 40-Sqdn over North Africa Sicily and Italy. Shot down near Benghazi in '42, he managed to evade capture, and was later temporarily promoted to Lt. Col. and commanded 40 Sqdn in Italy and Austria. He was awarded the DSO and DFC with bar for his gallantry in WW-II combat actions. Rogers accepted a permanent commission as Capt. in SAAF following WW-II, eventually volunteering to serve with the SAAF's United Nation's unit in Korea.

Many 18th Fighter Wing veterans recall SAAF 2-Sqdn's Captain Bob Rogers as the quietly aggres-sive F-51 Mustang pilot in Korea during 1951, and in F-86 Sabres in 1953. He won the USAF's Distin-guished Fly-ing Cross for his Korean combat.

Following his return to South Africa after combat in Korea, he served in a variety of high level staff positions prior to becoming South African Air Force Chief of Staff and, following his retirement in 1975, became a Member of Parliament and South Africa's Democratic Party spokes-person on defense matters.

General Bob Rogers

He is fondly remembered too, by the entire group of "18th FWA Cape Town Travelers" for his cordial hospitality to those who flew to South Africa during September 1997 to join their South African Korean War Veterans Assoc. reunion. He and all SAAF vets and wives at once became 'old and dear friends' to the USAF visitors.

18th FWA MEMBERS'

HONOR ROLL

( List includes only former registered members of 18FWA )