Rogers, Patrick Heron Thorold, son of Arthur George Liddon Rogers (qv); b. 17 Oct. 1909; adm. Sept. 1923 (R); left July 1927; Balliol Coll. Oxf., matric. 1928, BA 1931 (1st class hons Jurisprudence), LLB 1932; called to the Bar (Middle Temple) Jan. 1933 (1st class hons and cert. of honour Bar finals; BCL 1937; PO RAFVR Oct. 1941; m. 29 July 1937 Jacqueline, d. of Percy A. Sweetinburgh of Hampstead; killed in action Mar. 1942.
Patrick Heron Thorold Rogers was born at Barnet, Middlesex on the 17th of October 1909 the elder son of Arthur George Liddon Rogers OW, a civil servant for the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Emily Norah (nee Miller-Hallett) Rogers of “Mount Skippet”, Ramsden in Oxfordshire and of 17, Barkton Gardens, Earls Court in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1923 to July 1927. He matriculated for Balliol College, Oxford in 1928 and was awarded a First Class BA in Jurisprudence in 1931. He was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in January 1933 having won First Class Honours and a Certificate of Honour in the final examinations for the Bar in 1937. He worked from chambers at 4, Paper Buildings, Temple and lectured at the Faculty of Law at King’s College, London University and at the Police College, Hendon.
He was married at Temple Church, Marylebone on the 29th of June 1937 to Bertha Jacqueline Alice (nee Sweetinburgh) of Berkley Court. He was the author of “Roger’s Questions and Answers on Criminal Law” and “The Effect of War on Contract”, published in 1940. He co-wrote “The Solicitor’s handbook of War Legislation” with Stanley Marks Krusin.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as an Observer and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 4th of October 1941.
Patrick Rogers and his crew took off in Beaufort Mk II AW272 for an operational flight off the coast of Caithness. When it returned to base the aircraft was low on fuel and the crew was having trouble locating the airfield. The aircraft struck the Hill of Stemster near Achavanich at 10.30pm and crashed killing Patrick Rogers and injuring the rest of the crew.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Anthony Edgar Buchanan Barnard (Pilot) (Shock and an injured right arm) (Killed in action 13th April 1943)
Pilot Officer Patrick Heron Thorold Rogers (Observer)
Sergeant E. W. Hill (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) (Slightly injured, shock and minor abrasions)
Sergeant William Henry Parsons (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) (Seriously injured, fracture and dislocation of the spine)
William Parsons was taken to Stracathro Hospital where he died from his injuries at 7.40 on the 12th July 1942.
His mother received the following telegram dated the 14th of March 1942: - “Deeply regret to inform you that your son Pilot Officer Patrick Heron Thorold Rogers is reported to have lost his life as the result of air operations on 12th March 1942. The Air Council express their profound sympathy. His wife has been informed.”
His funeral took place on the 18th of March 1942.
A friend wrote of him: -
“In Patrick Heron Thorold Rogers, the Bar has lost one of its most brilliant young practitioners, and Westminster one of its most promising alumni. He was up Rigaud’s from 1923 to 1928, and was joint winner of the Vincent Prize in the latter year. Thence he passed on to Balliol, where he not only achieved a First in the School of Jurisprudence and another First in the postgraduate School of Civil Law, but also won the Winter Williams Scholarship. He obtained a First again in his Bar Examinations, and was awarded the Certificate of Honour for the Middle Temple. He also won the Barstow Scholarship, and was one of the Harmsworth Law Scholars for 1933. In practice he was well-known for his clear-headed advocacy; and for his keen grasp of the subtleties of his profession; though only 32 at his death he had been appointed Lecturer in Law at Kings College, London, and at the Police College, Hendon, and had written three books on legal matters connected with the war. No one would have cared to set any limit on his ultimate achievement. Believing that it was for him to share whatever danger might be the price of victory, he volunteered for flying duties with the R.A.F. On Thursday, March 12th, he was killed while returning from an operational flight. His loss is a public one, but to us, his friends and schoolfellows, it is all the more poignant for our memories of a character as striking as it was sincere. He was blessed with kindliness and courage, and he reaped his reward in success in his profession and complete happiness in his marriage. A life so richly lived and “So generously laid down” calls for no further epitaph.”
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Balliol College, Oxford and on the memorial at King’s College, London University. He is also commemorated on the memorial at the Middle Temple.
He is buried at St James’ Church, Ramsden.