Bob was born in Sheffield, in 1919, and moved to Malta when he was fifteen.

In 1937 after being turned down by The Royal Navy, Bob joined the Royal Artillery, as a gunner signaler. He was with the British Expeditionary Forces in France and was rescued from the beach at Dunkirk, and later in the Middle East for two years. He was recruited into the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and after parachute training saw special service in Persia and Iraq in 1943

Bob transferred to the Royal Signals later in 1944 and served in Albania, Italy and the Middle East until his release in 1946. He was a member of the Dunkirk Veterans Association until its colours were laid up. The SOE (Signals) Association and a Life Member of the Royal Signals Association and an active member of the Peterborough Branch. He is also a keen member of the RSARS and better known to his fellow members as G0CNL.

On the 25th.June 1999, Colonel Ken Smith and Major (Retd) Bob Rowland President and Chairman of the Peterborough Branch of the Royal Signals Association. Presented to the Royal Signals Museum at Blandford on behalf of Cpl, Bob Rogers the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Medal, "For Valour"which he received in 1944. Colonel Cliff Walters, Regimental Colonel, received the medal on behalf of the Museum

Towards the end of 1943 he took part in Mulligatawny which was an SOE operation in the Balkans to assist partisans by organizing dropping zones and arranging the reception of arms behind enemy lines.

During the operation many of his comrades, including his mission leader, were killed or captured and executed. In spite of very difficult conditions the mission continued to provide dropping zones and the reception of arms and ammunition for the partisans. These were used against the Germans and the Bulgarian Police. Cpl Rogers was wounded and treated by a doctor provided by the partisans. In May 1944 when they were operating west of Sofia, he became ill with a serious infection. After being unconscious for two days he was informed there was two messages for him from HQ in Italy. One of these informed him of the award of the gallantry medal, which was presented to him by a British Officer on his return to Italy some months later. Part of the citation reads:-(next Page) CLICK OPEN - Click Valour