A 97-year-old veteran pilot took to the skies once again to celebrate the RAF’s centenary and hand the baton over to a new generation of pilots.

Tom Rosser, who lives in Marlow, was one of two squadron leaders chosen to welcome the next generation of RAF cadets to the force at Biggin Hill Airport, after flying there from RAF Northolt in the Queen’s flight.

Mr Rosser said he enjoyed the day “very much”, adding that it was a different style of flying, “being in the Queen’s flight in comfort”.

He also said it was an honour to pass the baton to the new generation of the RAF.

Squadron Leader T.N. Rosser OBE DFC first volunteered for pilot training early in 1940. After training in England he was commissioned and flew with Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons in England and Bengal from August 1941 until December 1942.

He then joined No 3 PRU (later redesignated 681 Squadron) in Calcutta for photographic reconnaissance operations in Japanese-occupied Burma, Thailand, and the Andaman Islands.

After his operational tour ended in July 1944, he commanded the PR training Flight in 74 OTU in Palestine until VE Day when the OTU was disbanded. 

He later formed and led a temporary squadron of Spitfire fighter/bombers based in Egypt for internal security duties in the Middle East. He was demobilised in late 1946 after administrative appointments in Air HQ Egypt, and at RAF Cranwell.

Mr Rosser took to the skies in October 2016 in a Spitfire, 71 years after he last flew the iconic plane.

He said his love of flying started when he was a teenager and chose to go into the RAF in the war.

Unfortunately he was unable to get a permanent flying position in the RAF due to his defective colour vision.

Staff at Cliveden Manor Care Home, where Mr Rosser lives, said he flew more than 60 sorties over enemy territory in Japan on his own in an unarmed single engine spitfire. 

He would cover 500 miles per sortie, capturing photographs that were essential to the war effort.

His brother also joined the force as a Lancaster bomber and Mr Rosser’s last flight in uniform was his brother’s Lancaster aircraft.

Mr Rosser told the Marlow Free Press he admires the RAF and wants to see it grow, adding he was “immensely proud” to have been an RAF pilot.