R.I.P. Dr Norman Rose

On behalf of Age Cymru Dyfed, Chief Executive Simon Wright attended the funeral of Dr Norman Rose which was held at St Mary’s Church, Brecon on 11 March. Norman recently participated in Age Cymru Dyfed’s ‘Our Greatest Generation’ event held in Myddfai on 3rd October last year where he was joined by several other WW2 veterans.

 

Simon said ‘I had the distinct pleasure of being at the same table as Norman and fondly remember chatting to him. What a wonderful man!’

 

Norman held a particularly distinguished career as a very brave young Royal Marine Commando but also later as one the UK’s leading nuclear physicists. Born in Warwickshire in 1925, Norman won a scholarship to Coventry Cathedral School, where he was a chorister in the cathedral choir. He was educated there until entering military service in 1942.

Having completed his commando training at Achnacarry in Scotland aged 17, Norman was initially recruited to the 40 Royal Marine Commando. He first saw action in Italy before being transferred to 47 Royal Marine Commando with whom he was involved in the D-Day landings as well as the Battle for Port-en Bessin in Normandy. Normans’ war finished when he was injured at the Battle for Walcheren in Holland in November 1944. In 2016 Norman was awarded the Legion d'honneur by the French government in recognition of the part he played in the liberation of the town of Port-en-Bessin.

 

Post-war Norman subsequently joined the atomic energy authority UKAEA and worked his way through the ranks, ending up as one of the country's most senior nuclear physicists. He retired in his mid-sixties and moved to Wales with his wife Daphne in 2003. On his retirement he studied for and achieved a PhD in History, researching the work and influence of the scientist and educationalist Joseph Preistley, and in his 80s he travelled the full length of the Trans-Siberian railway - a lifelong ambition.

 

Norman was one of the now rapidly dwindling members of ‘Greatest Generation’ to whom we owe our freedoms over the past 80 years since the end of WW2 and must never be forgotten”.