The Airmen's Stories - P/O N McH Brown

Norman McHardy Brown was born in Edinburgh on 27th July 1919 and educated at South Morningside Primary School and George Heriots School.

He joined the RAFVR in August 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. He was called up on 1st September 1939 and went to 3 ITW Hastings, remaining there until April 1940, when he was posted to 30 EFTS Derby.

He went to 5 FTS in June and completed the course on 6th September. He was commissioned the next day. On the 16th Brown arrived at 7 OTU Hawarden to convert to Spitfires.

He was posted from there on the 28th to 611 Squadron at Digby. He moved to 41 Squadron at Hornchurch on 12th October 1940.

On 1st November 1941 Brown, in Spitfire P7448, overshot Hornchurch in poor visibility and flew into the London Barrage Balloon area. Brown struck a cable, seriously damaging his aircraft. He made a forced-landing on a small piece of open ground in the built-up area of Dagenham.

His commission was terminated in April 1941 and he entered the timber industry in Scotland. Timber was seen as a strategic product and after the war he assisted the Germans in reviving their own industry. He then worked until retirement for the Forestry Commission.

Brown died on 18th December 2013.