Captain William W Rogers MC the first Allied pilot to shoot down one of Germany’s feared Gotha bombers.
William Wendell Rogers
William Wendell Rogers born 10 November 1896 in Alberton, Prince Edward Island. His grandfather, Benjamin Rogers, a prominent political figure in Charlottetown since he had joined the Provincial Legislative Council in 1872. Benjamin Rogers lieutenant-governor of the province from 1910 to 1915.
Royal Flying Corps
Wendell Rogers moved to Toronto in 1914 to attend the University of Toronto. In 1915, Rogers enlisted in the COTC and initially trained as an infantry officer before moving to the Royal Artillery School in Kingston. Rogers made his own way to England in 1916, where he enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).
2nd Lieutenant William W Rogers
Rogers trained as a pilot over the winter of 1917, and appointed a Flying Officer on 25 April 1917 (London Gazette No 30078). Sent to No.1 Squadron RFC, flying Nieuport Scout aircraft, arriving in France on 18 May 1917. His first official victory over a German aircraft occurring on 12 July 1917 over Menin, Belgium. Flying a Nieuport, Rogers shot down an Albatros DIII, sharing the victory with Second Lieutenant H S Davies.
2nd Lt Wendell Rogers waited until October 1917 before scoring his next three victories on successive days. All three German Albatros DV aircraft, between 7 and 9 October 1917.
On 7 October 1917 at 08h00 flying a Nieuport (B6754), scoring an Albatros D.V (OOC) over Menin. Then on 8 October 1917 at 14h30 flying a Nieuport (B6754), scoring an Albatros D.V (OOC) over Polygon Wood. And finally, on 9 October 1917 at 13h00 flying a Nieuport 27 (B3629), scoring an Albatros D.V (OOC) NW of Gheluwe.
Further victories came over France on 20 October 1917 at 10h50 flying a Nieuport 27 (B3629), scoring an Albatros D.V (OOC) over Linselles. And before the fifth victory came before the end of the month on 29 October 1917 at 10h55 flyign a Nieuport (B6789), scoring a DFW C (OOC) over Quesnoy.
Gotha
Three man crew occupying their respective positions aboard a Gotha G.V heavy bomber of the England Squadron (Kagohl 3 or “England Geschwader”). The camouflage design printed on the fabric.
On 12 December 1917 at 14h15 flying a Nieuport (B6825), 2nd Lt Wendell Rogers scored a Gotha G (DES) North of Frelinghien, France. While leading a patrol from No.1 Squadron, Rogers and four other Nieuport aircraft climbed through the clouds and encountered two formations of German Gotha bombers.
Forty feet in length and with 80 foot wingspans, the massive Gothas bombed England during the summer of 1917.
The Fight
The heavily armed Gothas opened fire on Rogers’ force from above. Rogers manoeuvred out of range and then he and two others of his party climbed to a position above and behind the Gothas. They opened fire on three of the enemy aircraft at the tail of the formation. Rogers moved in on the centre aircraft which had either fallen behind or beginning to turn for home. He lined up a perfect shot on the fuselage and, with the bomber’s observer directly in his sight, opened up with his Lewis gun.
James Whitham
Raked by Rogers’ fire, the Gotha swung sharply to the left and began a fall towards the ground, its engines bellowing smoke and its fuel beginning to ignite. Following, Rogers began to fear the German pilot might be able to regain control of the aircraft. Rogers placed a fresh drum of ammunition in his Lewis gun, and prepared to attack again. As he closed in, two of the crew jumped out just before the aircraft exploded over No Man’s Land east of Armentières.
James Whitham
Ltn Werner Bülowius and Ltn Güuther von der Nahmer jumped out with no parachutes. Only von der Nahmer’s body recovered later and buried in Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Vladslo, Belgium.
Kagohl 3
The formation attacked turned out to be Kagohl 3, formed by German high command in early 1917. The Gotha’s observer, none other than Hauptmann Rudolf Kleine, the squadron’s commander. Kleine a key figure in the bombing of England through the previous summer months.
Hauptmann Rudolf Kleine
Kleine remained in the Gotha and his battered body, shot through the head, discovered behind the lines by a German soldier who recognized the Pour le Mérite around his neck. His corpse repatriated to Bogohl 3. A heroes funeral subsequently given to Hauptmann Rudolf Kleine, presided over by Hauptmann Ernst Brandenburg, still on convalescent leave.
Hauptmann Rudolf Kleine later reinterred in the Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof at Vladslo, Grave 5/1004.
Iron Crosses
Rogers became the first RFC pilot to bring down a Gotha bomber over continental Europe. A visiting Australian Army officer witness to Rogers’ victory over the Gotha, which had occurred over his unit.
Photo: Rogers’ Iron Cross as displayed at the Byng Boys’ Club in Saint John, NB.
The Australians recovered some souvenirs from the downed aircraft. Two wing tips with their iron crosses, which had made it to the ground unscathed. The officer had the two crosses formally presented to Rogers.
Military Cross
Awarded-Military Cross (MC) – 2nd Lt. (T./Capt.) William Wendell Rogers, R.F.C., Spec. Res.
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in shooting down seven enemy aeroplanes, and on two occasions attacking enemy troops with machine gun fire from very low altitudes. He proved himself a daring patrol leader.”
Supplement to the London Gazette, 5 July 1918
Captain William W Rogers ended his tour in December of 1917 with two more victories. On 17 December 1917 at 14h20 flying a Nieuport (B6789), scoring a C (OOC) SW of Moorslede. And the following day, on 18 December 1917 at 11h40 flying the same Nieuport. Scoring an Albatros D.V (OOC) over Moorslede.
Return to Borden
In 1918, Captain William W Rogers left No.1 Squadron and returned to Canada to work with the Royal Air Force training station in Borden, Ontario. After leaving the military, Rogers continued in the field of aviation. Reported to be the first to pilot an aircraft into his home town of Alberton, Prince Edward Island, on 5 July 1930, to visit his parents. Wendell became a prominent businessman in Saint John, New Brunswick, and continued to promote civil aviation throughout that province.
In 1938, Rogers appointed commanding officer of the No.117 (Fighter) Squadron of the RCAF. However, at 42 years of age, too old to return to combat, much to his disappointment. Rogers took a position managing the Canada Veneer company in Saint John. A key supplier of high-grade plywood used in the fabrication of de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers.
On 12 January 1967, William Wendell Rogers died in the Saint John General Hospital at the age of 71 following a lengthy illness.
“Canadian airmen would pay tribute to a flier who put a chink in German air power in 1917.”
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Fernhill Cemetery
Captain William W Rogers MC buried at Fernhill Cemetery, Saint John, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada.
As for the two trophy iron crosses from the Gotha he downed in December 1917, Rogers had presented one to his squadron’s mess in Flanders. The other he kept for himself. The one at the mess lost when the Germans captured the building during their great offensive in the spring of 1918. The other returned with Rogers to Canada.
After Captain William W Rogers settled in Saint John in 1924, the fabric iron cross found a home in the Byng Boys’ Club. Founded in 1919 by the Great War veteran and future lieutenant governor, Larry MacLaren. A photograph of the German commander, Von Kluck, occupied a prominent place in the room as did a human skull wearing a German helmet. In 2004 the club moved to new quarters which necessitated the dispersal of the collection of artifacts. Lloyd Rogers offered his father’s trophy iron cross to the Canadian War Museum.
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