Shipbucket

We have sad news to bring you this Sunday evening with a report of the passing of the greatest naval aviator in Fleet Air Arm history – and possibly the greatest aviator, period: 'Captain Eric Melrose Brown CBE DSC AFC' - better known as 'Winkle' Brown.

One month after his 97th birthday, the Leith born aviator passed away in hospital in Surrey, his family has announced.

No-one has flown more types of aircraft (487) nor performed more carrier landings (2,407) than Capt Brown, who met Hermann Goering at the Berlin Olympics in 1936… and then interrogated him after WWII.

His fluency in German also meant he also interrogated some of the senior Nazis at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, which was liberated by the British Army in April 1945.

That same year ended with the test pilot becoming the first person to land a jet aircraft on a carrier – a de Havilland Sea Vampire on to the deck of HMS Ocean (R68) on the 4th December 1945.

Capt' Brown retired from the Fleet Air Arm in 1970 having commanded HMS Fulmar – today the RAF base of RAF Lossiemouth – and served as ADC to the Queen.







On 3 December 1945, Brown became the first pilot to land on and take-off (pictured) from an aircraft carrier (HMS Ocean) in a jet aircraft. The aircraft he flew – the de Havilland Sea Vampire LZ551/G – is now preserved at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset.




If you wish to learn more about this extraordinary man. a read of his Wiki page is very interesting. The phrase 'been there done that' was invented for this guy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot)

I am greatly saddened to hear this. Quite a number of years ago he used to speak at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum; my father, brother and I had the great fortune to hear him speak twice. Even got him to sign some of his books while there. He was without doubt one of the best and most interesting speakers the Smithsonian ever had, and I was hoping he might return again.

That won't happen now...

Very sad, absolute legend of a man.

Very sad news, this is the end of an era as the last few greats from this period pass into history.
Although, I'm sure 97 isn't a bad age considering at least the three narrow escapes from death he had, not the mention the risks of his profession and the unlucky fates of many of his contemporaries in service and test flying.

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English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Very sad news indeed.

Truly the passing of of a legend, my deepest felt sympathies go out to hes beloved ones. At 97 years of age he had done so much, accomplished so many deeds. His name will always shine in the annals of naval aviation
R.I.P brave one.

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Thank you Kim for the crest

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