The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. C Browne

Charles Browne was born on 15th June 1916 in Whitehaven, Cumbria and joined the RAF on 8th September 1939 as an u/t Air Gunner. He went to 3 BGS Aldergrove on 8th January 1940.

On completion of his gunnery course he was posted to 235 Squadron on 25th February.

He moved to 219 Squadron at Catterick on 23rd May 1940. Browne crash-landed in a Blenheim on 2nd August, baled out of another on 19th October when ordered to do so by the pilot, who later made a successful crash-landing, and on 12th December Browne crash-landed in a Beaufighter.

He married Lyndon May Kirtley at St. Marys Richmond, Surrey on 13th September 1940.

He was posted to 77 Squadron on 3rd June 1941, flying in Whitleys from Topcliffe in Yorkshire.

Browne left the squadron on 21st August and was graded as medically unfit for flying in January 1942.

He was commissioned in the RAF Regiment in August 1942 and posted to the Middle East. Browne was released from the RAF on 26th October 1945 as a Flying Officer.

He died in July 1993 in Whitehaven.