A timeline of the life of James Rose’s (4911764), as researched/provided by his great nephew, Jerry Roberts:
- Father James Rose marries Charlotte Clarke in 1912.
- James Edward Rose is born on 16/12/1912.
- His brother George William Rose is Born on 10/01/1914.
- 29300 James Rose of the 16th Sherwood Foresters(Chatsworth Rifles) is killed at Ypres on 15/07/1916 he is 32 years old. His body is never found, he is commemorated at the Loos memorial.
- Charlotte Rose marries Archibold Wheeler in 1918 and becomes Charlotte Wheeler, Archibald Tremaine Wheeler is born in 1918.
- 09/05/1929 James attests to 6th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment TA.
- 01/09/1929 James tries to enlist into the Devonshire Regiment giving a D.O.B of 16/08/1911.
- 14/09/1929 Joins Devonshire Regiment as a boy soldier (17 years old).
- 21/09/1929 Posted
- 11/12/1930 Attests to Army, colours 9 years and 3 reserve.
- 20/07/1933 Appointed Drummer.
- 18/10/1933 Posted to India. Brother George marries in September and Margaret Rose is born in November.
- 27/03/1939 Extends colours to twelve years.
- 29/09/1939 Unpaid L/Corporal 1st Devonshire Regiment, relinquishes Drummer.
- 12/06/1940 4916293 George William Rose a signaller of the 1/6th South Staffordshire Regiment is reported MIA
- 21/05/1940 in the Pas de Calais. 13/07/1940 he is P.O.W 9144 at Stalag XXa.
- 01/06/1941 Paid Corporal.
- 01/09/1941 extends colours to twenty one years.
- 17/1/1942 Posted 151st regiment (Parachutists) Delhi. Undertakes training and gains his wings.
- 20/11/1942 posted Middle East with 151st (now 156th Parachute Battalion (a change to fool the enemy that we had two Para Battalions).
- 03/02/1943 embarked for UK on leave as one of the soldiers who had been away for over ten years.
- 05/06/1943 Home on leave for two weeks meets his Niece Margaret Rose (my Mother for the first time).
- Joins C company 9th parachute Regiment at Bulford. Has Indian Frontier Medal (source: “A Teenagers War”, by Ron Tucker).
- 20/10/1943 Paid Sergeant C Company 6th Battalion 9th Parachute Regiment.
- 05/06/1944 Embarks UK for North Western Europe.
- 06/06/1944 Takes part in the assault on the Merville Gun Battery (according to Veteran Paratrooper Fred Milward who remembered Sgt Rose at the assault and the calvary cross after the battle).
- 08/06/1944 K.I.A in the woods adjacent to the Château St Come, Ranville, Normandy alongside Major Eddie Charlton and Lieutenant Gordon Parfitt (although they are listed as KIA 09/06/44). Aged 32 with 14 years 269 days service.
Copies of his birth certificate/ army records have been sent to the CWGC in an effort to have James’s age corrected on their records. James is listed on the Fallen Heroes of Normandy page, here.