- Born
- Died
- Birth nameEric Melrose Brown
- Nickname
- Eric "Winkle" Brown
- Eric Brown was born on January 21, 1919 in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was married to Evelyn and Jean. He died on February 21, 2016 in Redhill, Surrey, England, UK.
- SpousesEvelyn(1942 - 1998) (her death, 1 child)Jean(? - 2016) (his death)
- His colleagues nicknamed him "Winkle" because of his small size.
- He learned to speak German fluently. He witnessed the liberation of Bergen-Belsen camp, acting as interpreter for the trial of the camp commandants. Later, he interrogated prominent Nazis, including Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, and the senior Luftwaffe.
- Appointed MBE, OBE, and CBE.
- He was the Royal Navy's most decorated pilot. He held the world record for flying the greatest number of different types of aircraft -- 487. He also made 2,407 aircraft carrier landings.
- He caught the flying bug at age 8 when his father, a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during WWI, took him up in a bi-plane.
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