Captain Oren John Rose was a World War I flying ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with 16 aerial victories.

Rose joined the Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

 in 1917. He went to France, and was assigned to 92 Squadron. Flying one of four different RAF SE.5as, he tallied up his victories between 30 July and 4 November 1918, becoming the top scoring ace of No. 92 Squadron in the process. He tallied 14 enemy airplanes destroyed, including one shared with James Victor Gascoyne

James Victor Gascoyne

Second lieutenant James Victor Gascoyne was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-Citation for Distinguished Flying Cross:2nd Lieut. James Victor Gascoyne...

, and two driven down out of control.

After World War I

Rose fought in Russia just subsequent to the war, in 1919. He then went home and went into business. During World War II, he returned to service in the U.S. Army Air Corps as an Operations and Training Officer in Kentucky. He moved on to a squadron command in Louisiana during 1943 and 1944. By the time he was discharged in 1946, he had become Chief of the Aircraft Assignment Base at Wright Field

Wright Field

Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....

. He returned to his auto business, and eventually retired in the 1960s.

Honors and awards

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Lieut. Oren John Rose. (FRANCE)

A very gallant officer who has accounted for nine enemy aeroplanes. On 29 September he observed an enemy scout attacking some of our machines; engaging it, he drove it down from 15,000 feet to 6,000 feet, when it fell in flames. On his return journey he attacked and destroyed an enemy two-seater.

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Bar

Lt (A./Capt.) Oren John Rose, D.F.C. (FRANCE)

A brilliant and fearless leader who, since 9 October, has destroyed seven enemy aeroplanes. His personal example of skill and determination in aerial combats and in attacking troops and transport on the ground is of the greatest value in maintaining the high standard of efficiency in his squadron.

Reference

• SE 5/5a Aces of World War I. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 184603180X, 9781846031809.
• American Aces of World War 1 Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1841763756, 9781841763750.