THE TIMES Friday July 222016 1GM

Captain Er c Winkle Brown

The Duke of York KG, Commodore-in-Chief FleetAir Arm, and patron, Fly Navy Heritage Trustattended an event to celebrate the life andachievements of the world’s greatest test pilotCaptain Eric Melrose-Brown DSC, ArC RoyalNavy, held on Thursday, July 21, at the RoyalNaval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset. Theprime minister was represented by Sir GeraldHowarth MP.

The Venerable Ian Wheatley, chaplain of theFleet and archdeacon to the Royal Navyofficiated and pronounced the blessing. Rear-Admiral Keith Blount (Assistant Chief of NavalStaff — Aviation, Amphibious Capability andCarriers) read the lesson.

Commander Sue Eagles (communicationsdirector, Fly Navy Heritage Trust) read thepoem High Flight by John Magee.

The Duke of York KG, Admiral Sir PhilipJones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff,Admiral Sir George Zambellas, Vice-Admiral BenKey, Fleet Commander and Senior Royal NavyAviator, Colonel Paul Beaver, Captain ToddWilson, United States Navy Liaison to the RoyalNavy, Mr Jeremy Miles (Miles AircraftCompany), Mr Anthony J Blackman and MrGlenn Melrose-Brown, son, paid tribute toCaptain Melrose-Brown and his remarkablecareer as a test pilot and aircraft carrierpioneer.

During the commemoration, the YeoviltonMilitary Wives Choir, directed by Mr MatthewRock, sang Sailing by Rod Stewart, which wasEric~ final choice of music when he was a gueston the 3000th edition of Radio 4’s Desert IslandDiscs. The Band of the Royal Marines,Plymouth, directed by Major R P Long,performed a selection of concert band items,including Those Magnificent Men in their FlyingMachines by Ron Goodwin, and music from thebig band era. Miss Emily Horton was thecompere.

Among others present were: Mrs Jean Kelly,Mrs Glenn Melrose-Brown with other membersof the family.

Also present were: Lady Howarth, Lady Lygo,Sir Richard and Lady Matthews, Sir Humphryand the Hon Lady Wakefeld, Lady Zambellas,Admiral of the Fleet Sir Benjam’n Bathurst,Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Admiral Sir MichaelLayard, Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns and LadyJohns, Air Marshal Sir Christopher Coville, ViceAdmiral Sir Jonathan Tod, Vice-Admiral A.Jonathan Woodcock (Second Sea Lord andDeputy Chief of Naval Staff), Rear-Admiral RH.Burn, Rear-Admiral Paul Bennett (AssistantChief of Naval Staff — Capability), Rear-AdmiralPaul Chivers1 Rear-Admiral Chris Clayton, RearrwriLo9e rust), Kear-Adimral and Mrs SimonCharlier, Rear-Admiral Tom Cunninghamwhairman, Fly Navy Heritage Trust) and MrsCunningham, Rear-Admiral and Mrs RussHarding, Rear-Admiral Graeme Mackay, Rear-Admiral James Rapp, Rear-Admiral A.R.Rawbone, Rear-Admiral Ian Tibbitt (deputychairman, Fly Navy Heritage Trust) and MrsTibbitt, Rear-Admiral and Mrs John Tolhurst,Rear-Admiral Simon Williams, Air Vice-MarshalJohn Ponsonby (senior vice-president LeonardoHelicopters and trustee, Fly Navy HeritageTrust), Commodore Jon Pentreath (commandingofficer, RNAS Yeovilton), Commodore JockAlexander (chief executive, Fly Navy HeritageTrust), Commodore and Mrs Simon Baldwin,Commodore David Bartlett, Commodore MattBriers, Commodore David Childs, CommodoreBill Covington (trustee, Fly Navy HeritageTrust) and Mrs Covington, Commodore DavidElford, Commodore Andrew Jameson,Commodore Anthony King, Commodore SimonKings, Commodore Jamie Miller, Brigadier MarkNoble RM and Mrs Noble, Commodore and MrsChris Palmer, Commodore Duncan Reid, AirCommodore Harvey Smyth, Brigadier RichardSpencer, Air Commodore Johnny Stringer,Commodore Gary Sutton, Commodore RickThompson, Commodore and Mrs SimonThornewill, Commodore Malcolm Toy,Commodore Martin Westwood, CommodoreTobias Williamson, Captain James Band,Captain and Mrs Andy Barnwell, CaptainMichael Bickley, Captain Nick Blackman, CaptainHarry Blackmore, Captain Jerry Boddington,Captain Geoff Bowker, Captain Mark Bradley,Captain Henry DuTh’, Captain and Mrs DavidDurston, Captain Ivan Finn, Captain and MrsMark Garratt, Captain and Mrs Andy Harris,Captain and Mrs Fred Hefford, Captain TerenceHenderson, Captain Alan Hensher, Captain PeterHore, Captain and Mrs Gerry Hunt, Captain AlunJones, Captain Mark Langrill, Captain K.A.Leppard, Captain and Mrs David Lilley, CaptainJames Luard, Captain and Mrs Cohn MacGregor,Captain Sharon Malkin, Captain Rob Mallinson,Captain Cohn Miller, Captain W Morris, Captainand Mrs Mike Nixon, Captain Kieran O’Brien,Captain Adrian Orchard, Captain and Mrs RobertRance, Captain Michael Rawlinson, Captain PaulShawcross, Captain Robin Shercliff, CaptainDanny Stembridge, Captain and Mrs SimonThomas, Captain Robert Turner, Captain NickWalker, Captain and Mrs Russell Williams,Colonel Richard Green, Colonel Tom Hickman,Group Captain Christopher Huckstep, GroupCaptain Tom Lyons, Commander Matt Avison,Commander James Blackmore, Commander GusCarnie, Commander Simon Collins, CommanderJohanna Deakin, Commander and Mrs JamesDible, Commander Steve Doubleday,Commander and Mrs Gary Duffield, CommanderAndy Dustan, Commander Simon Flynn,

All Kefford

Eric Brown first came to RNAS Yeovilton on the day it opened in 1940, when“it was nothing but three runways in anocean of mud’~ -

Workmen had to be moved beforeeach take-offand thefledgling pilot hadhis first accident there, belly-floppinghis Gloster Gladiator biplane into a pileof rubble.Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet AirArm, Fir~t Sea Lord Admiral Sir PhilipJones and more than 650 Royal Navypersonnel, fellow test pilots, scientistsand members of the aviation and aeronautical industries gathered at thesame air station to commemorate thelife of a man who rose from that skirmish with Somerset soil to become theworld’s greatest military test pilot.

Captain Eric Brown, who died inFebruary this year aged 97, flew 487different military aircraft fromgliders andjets to helicopters — including many during their dangerous initialtesting phase.

He made 2,407 landings on carriersat sea and 2,271 take-offs, world recordswhich will almost certainly remainunbroken given thatseasoned US NavyTop Guns notch up about two thirds ofthese totals.

He was the first man to land ajet ona carrier, and during 70 years of

Commander and Mrs Tim Gedge, CommanderDarren Goldsmith, Commander Matt Grindon,Commander Ian Halliday, Commander and MrsEdgar Home, Commander Simon Joll,Commander Tim Kelly, Commander RogerKennedy, Commander and Mrs Robin Kent,Commander and Mrs Rich Kerslake, Commanderand Mrs Stewart Kilby, Commander PatrickLacey, Commander and Mrs Mark Leaning,Commander Christopher Ling, CommanderStephen Lynch, Commander James Macdonald,Commander Dave Mackay, Commander and MrsMark Macleod, Commander David Marten,Commander Henry Mereweather, CommanderHenry Mitchell, Commander Mike Norman,Lieutenant-Colonel Will Penkman, Commanderand Mrs Aubone Pyke, Commander and MrsJeremy Redman, Commander Philip Richardson,Wing Commander and Mrs Clive Rustin,Commander Dennis Ryan, Commander KnutSandved, Commander and Mrs Don Stolworthy,Wing Commander and Mrs Ian Strachan,Commander Stephen Thomas, Surgeon-Commander Matt Turner, Commander MalteVon Spreckelsen, Commander Robin Wain,Commander Louis Wilson-Chalon, Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Manson, Lieutenant-ColonelHolger Schmor, Lieutenant-Commander GlennAllison, Lieutenant-Commander NicholasAlmond, Lieutenant-Commander James Ashlin,Lieutenant-Commander Jonnie BarnesYallowley, Lieutenant-Commander Richard

involvement in British innovative aviation went from flying the BlackburnSkua fighterto advising on the development of the F-35, set to fly from our newQueen Elizabeth Class carriers. -

Brown — nicknamed “Winklebecause of his diminutive height —

remains revered worldwide throughout the military and aviation industryfor his flying genius and unswervingpassion for British carrier strike.

fle-ffnv’Ma,tlots from escort carrierHMS Audacity during the early stagesof the Battleofthe Atlantic survivingher sinking. However, it was during hissix-year stint at RAE Farnborough inthe later stages of the war that his talents as a scientist and engineer blendedwith a searing intellect that resulted inhim playing a key role at the zenith ofexperimental flying.

The Duke of York said: “The currentRoyal Navy is all about carrier aviation,about getting us back into that game.Without Eric we couldn’t possibly haveachieved where we are going. He was atruly inspirational person:’

Yesterday’s commemoration wasattended by Eric’s son, Glenn MelroseBrown, and his companion in later life,Mrs Jean Kelly.

A flypast ofmore than 40 ofthe aircraft that .Brown piloted,including the Fairey Swordfish,

Bartram, Lieutenant-Commander and Mrs JohnBasterfield, Lieutenant-Commander DuncanBrodie, Lieutenant-Commander K. Burbridge,Lieutenant-Commander Suzanne Clark,Lieutenant-Commander S Cox,Lieutenant-Commander Nathan Dale,Surgeon-Lieutenant Commander Kelly Davey,Lieutenant-Commander Ralph Dodds,Lieutenant-Commander Anthony Eagles,Lieutenant-Commander and Mrs Dave Eagles,Lieutenant-Commander Martin Flanagan,Lieutenant-Commander Chris Gdtke,Lieutenant-Commander Scott Hughes,Lieutenant-Commander Ralph Jameson,Lieutenant-Commander Adam Jones,Lieutenant-Commander Earl Kingston,Lieutenant-Commander and Mrs Patrick Knox,Lieutenant-Commander Lester May,Lieutenant-Commander Rob Milligan,Lieutenant-Commander Martyn Pinnock,Lieutenant-Commander Chris Roberts,Lieutenant-Commander Alice Saunders,Lieutenant-Commander Alex Simms,Lieutenant-Commander Joe Stevens,Lieutenant-Commander Phil Thornton,Lieutenant-Commander Marty Van Duin,Lieutenant-Commander Barney Wainwright,Squadron Leader and Mrs Duncan Ross,Squadron Leader Robert Tuxford, SquadronLeader Chris Ford, Squadron Leader DickKharegat, Squadron Leader and Mrs RhysWilliams, Lieutenant and Mrs Gordon Bradley,

Grumman Wildcat and Hawker SeaHurricane, swept in over verdant countryside surrounding Yeovilton, thethrob of their engines echoing acrossthe air station.

Brown knew no fear but was neverblasé about his achievements, describing deck landings as “one of the mostdemanding things you can do as apilot’

“When landing on a carrier you areessentially aiming for a small lay-by inthe middle of a large lake:’ he said. “It isa three-dimensional problem througha fog, with none of the same visualreferences you get in land.”

Brown donated his original testflying overalls, helmet and uniforms tothe Fly Navy Heritage Trust, whichhosted his commemorative event attheir hangar.

He charged the charity to use hislegacy to inspire new generations ofaviators.

“lt~ vital people are aware ofour heritage,” he said. “After I am gone, I hopethat the aircraft will be well lookedafter, and that the men who flew themand those who laid down their lives inthem will never be forgotten:’

Lieutenant Dan Breward, Lieutenant AshleyBye, Lieutenant James Cooper, LieutenantSerena Davidson, Lieutenant Nick JacksonSpence, Lieutenant Matthew Harding,Lieutenant Ellen Harrison, Lieutenant CharlotteMilne, Lieutenant Freddie Morton-King,Lieutenant Christian Smith, Lieutenant AdamWheldon, Sub Lieutenant Dev Chowdhury, SubLieutenant Jo Huckstep, Sub Lieutenant AliSedgeworth, Sub Lieutenant Martin Young,Chief Petty Officer John Campbell, Chief PettyOfficer Sandra Parkinson, Petty Officer AirEngineering Technician Devetill, Petty Officerand Mrs Matthew Evans, Leading AirEngineering Technician H Jemison, LeadingAirman (Aircraft Handler) Andy Ransom,Leading Aircrewman Rose, CorporalWhilsthouse, WOl Steve Cass, WOl MickDavidson, WO]. Andreas Harvey, W01 GeoffKendall, Leading Air Engineering TechnicianWhitmore, Leading Airman ‘Wiggy’ Whitwham,Mrs Jeremy Miles; Mrs Keith Blount, Mrs CatePye, Mr and Mrs Eric Verdon-Roe, Mr and MrsIan Whittle, Mr Eddie Albrecht, Mr RichardAilum, Mr Laurence Allum, Mr and Mrs ArwynAngel, Ms Rosalind Arlott, Professor ChrisAtkin, Mr Neil Bailey, Mr Trevor Bailey, MrDavid Barker, Mr Darren Barrington-Light, MrGary Bartlett, Dr Ian Bartram Harrison, Mr JanBassett, Mr and Mrs David Batcock, Mr and MrsCharles Battersby, Mr Douglas Baynes, MrDuncan Baynes, Mr Jack Beaver, Ms Elizabeth

Beckelt, Mr Peter Benn, Mr Alan Blacker, MrMichael Blacker, Mr Simon Blacker, MrsDeborah Blacker, Mr and Mrs John Blunden, MrTertius Bonnin, Mrs Michelle Bonnin, Mr ConnorBowcott, Mr Ian Brannick, Mr Andrew Brookes,Mrs Veronica Bryant, Mr Mike Buckland, MrPeter Campbell, Mr and Mrs Jack Cant, MrVictor Chavez, Mr Steve Cheyne, Mr Nick Childs,Mr Stephen Clarke, Miss Laura Clarke, MissTracey Clempson, Mr Frank Colenso, Mr GaryCopeland, Mr and Mrs Tom Corfield, Mr JohnCorless, Mr Jason Corless, Mr Hugh Craig, MrBob Crosby, Mr Mike Cuttell, Mr P Dale, MissRebecca Dailey, Mr John Davies, Mrs Melanie deWatts, Mr Hugh Dibley, Mr Jonathan Dickens,Mr Geoff Douthwaite, Mr Richard Dumville, MrsElizabeth Duff, Mr and Mrs Roger Earl, MrHesketh Emden, Mr Nick English, Mr GilesEnglish, Mr Cohn Evans, Mr Tim Fagan, Mr MarcFarrance, Mr John ray, Mr Roy Finlayson, MrMark Fitzgerald, Mr James Flanagan, Mrs RuthFletcher, Mr Ben Francis, Mrs Jennifer Franks,Mr Marcus Fysh MP, Mrs Amanda Gallahar, MrRichard Gardner, Mr and Mrs Gordon Gardiner,Mr Rob Gearing, Miss Gemma Gearing, Mr andMrs David Gibbings, Mr Bob Gibson, Mr TerryGiles, Mr Stephen Glancey, Mr John Goodman,Mr and Mrs Anthony Gomm, Mr and Mrs RonaldGrant Captain Ted Hackett, Mr Mark Haddinan,Mrs Melanie Haddinan, Mr Roger Hall and PettyOfficer Janet Hall WRNS, Mr John Hallam, MrGordon Hamilton, Master Eachan Hardie, DrDavid Hardie, Ms Mary Hardy, Mr PatrickHarrison, Mr Nicholas Harrison, Mr AndrewHealey, Mr and Mrs David Heritier, the RevAndrew Hillier, Mr and Mrs Thomas Horton, Mrand Mrs Alan Hughes, Mr Christopher Hunt MrDavid Hunt, Mr Maurice Hynett, Mr AndrewJack, Mrs Jennifer Jacomb, Mr and Mrs JeremyJames, Mr ‘Spike’ Jepson, Mr Brian Johnson, MrSimon Jones, Mr Mark Jones, Mr and Mrs J.Jowett, Ms Sarah Kenny, Mr Ewan Kelbie, MrsJennifer King, Mr Keith Knowles, Mr RobertKramer, Mr Richard Lake, Mr Lars Landsnes, MrKnut Lande, Mrs Gill Laurijssen, Mr Nick Lay,Ms Louise Lee, Mrs Carol Lee, Mr Martin LeeBapty, Mr Simon Levy, Mr John Le Warne, MrPaul Le Warne, Mr Darren Lewington, Mr DanLewis, Mr Jeremy Liber, Mr John Ling, Mr andMrs Anthony Little, Mr Derek Long, Mr Ian -

McDonald, Mr James Mackenzie, Mr DonMaclame, Mr Phil Macquaid, Mr RobertManergh, Mr Tim Manna, Mr Geoff Maple, MrRichard Martell, Mr Fred Marsh, Mr and MrsJohn Marshall, Mr and Mrs Howard Mason, MrJacob Matthews, Mr Philip Matthews, Mr andMrz David Mauleverer, Mr Martin Mayer, MrMichael May, Mrs Jane May, Mr JamesMcDermott, Mr Stu McLaren, Dr SimonMitchell, Mr Dave Morris, Mr Graham Mottram,Mr Roy Moxam, Mr Jim Munro, Mr and Mrs BobNeill, Mr and Mrs William Nichol-Gent, Mr andMrs Anthony Oakes, Mr Christopher Orlebar, MrJon Parkinson, Mr Keith Partington, Mr StephenPartridge-Hicks, Miss Lucasta Partridge-Hicks,Dr Niky Jane Pauii, Miss Kelly Paull, Mr ClarencePaull, Mr David Pauhi, Ms Gillian Paull, MrGeorge Payne, Mr Martin Payne, Mr StephenPearce, Mr Richard Pearce, Ms Cath Pearman,Mr James Pegg, Mr Craig Penrice, Mr RobertPooley, Mr Mat Potulski, Mr Chive Powell, MrStephen Prince, Mr Peter Rainbird, Mr JohnRawlinson, Mrs Ali Rayden, Mr ChristopherRayner, Mr Adam Reynolds, Mrs JayneRichardson, Mr Norman Richardson, Mr PeterRoberts, Mrs Mary Roberts, Mr Paul Roberts,Mr Arnold Rosen, Dr Chris Royle, Mrs SarahRoyle, Mr Simon Runagall, Mr John Runyard, MrDavid Russell, Mr Michael Ryan (trustee, Fly

Navy Heritage Trust), Ms Laila Sadler,Mrs Valerie Sayer, Mr Ian Seager,Mr and Mrs Brian Service, MrfrckSeward, Mr Charlie Shea-Sim6’nds,

Mr Reg Simmonds, Mrs JuliaSimmonds, Mr Peter Simmonds, MrTim Skeet Mr Alfie Southwelb, Mr Paul

Shakespeare, Mrs Ann Shore, Mr RichardShuttleworth, Dr Ronald Smith, Mr Ian Smith,Mr and Mrs Steven Sole, Ms Nicci Sowden, Mrand Mrs Andrew Sproule, Mr Drew Steel, MrsAnn Stinton, Mr Andrew Strachan, Mr StuartStrachan, Mrs Mary Sturgeon, Mr and MrsJonathan Suckling, Mr Andrew Sweetman, MsTracey Swindale, Mr James Tebbett, MrJonathan Thomas, Mr Tom Thomson, Mr JohnThorpe, Mr Richard Thwaites, Mr Geoffrey Till,Mrs Geoffrey Till, Mr Tony Tite, Mr GuyTomlinson, Ms Kate Tonner, Mr and Mrs MichaelTurner, Mr Ron Underwood, Mr Matt Walker, Mrand Mrs Christopher Walkinshaw, Mr GerryWabster, Mr and Mrs Simon Watson, Mr andMrs Keith Watts, Mr David Weatherley, MrGareth Webb, Dr Phil Weir, Mr Chris Welham,Mr Arthur Wells, Mr Desmond Wells, MrsRosemary Wells, Mr Philip West, Mr RowlandWhite, Mr Christopher Wigdor, Mr GrahamWiley, Mr Michael Wilkinson, Mr ChrisWilliams, Mr and Mrs Peter Wingate, MsCamilla Winlo, Mr Alistair Wood, Mr Nick Woodwith ambassadors of the Fly Navy HeritageTrust and representatives of AVRO, Boeing,Lockheed Martin, Airbus, BAE Systems, RollsRoyce, Westland, Empire Test Pilots’ School,Boscombe Down, Society of Experimental TestPilots, Royal Aeronautical Society, Company ofAir Pilots, HMS Queen Elizabeth, RAEFarnborough with many more friends andformer colleagues from around the worldincluding Germany, Norway, the Netherlandsand the USA and other organisations havingconnection with Captain Eric Melrose-Brown,

MVOr~IiaSiRG.iiiL BELOW: [Bills GAYLABO

Captain Brown with the helmet he wore In the 1950s when based In the US. Below: a Sea Vixen, among many aIrcraft flown

Celebrated aviator and test pilot

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