Alfred John Brown

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Alfred John Brown
Died After 16 May 1919
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Royal Air Force
Rank Captain
Unit Royal Sussex Regiment
No. 24 Squadron RAF
No. 23 Squadron RAF
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Military Cross

Captain Alfred John Brown MC was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. [1]

Military Cross third-level military decoration of the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth officers

The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.

Flying ace distinction given to fighter pilots

A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.

Contents

Early life

Alfred John Brown was apparently from Sussex, England, as evidenced by his service in the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Sussex historic county in South East England

Sussex, from the Old English Sūþsēaxe, is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English Channel, and divided for many purposes into the ceremonial counties of West Sussex and East Sussex. Brighton and Hove, though part of East Sussex, was made a unitary authority in 1997, and as such, is administered independently of the rest of East Sussex. Brighton and Hove was granted City status in 2000. Until then, Chichester was Sussex's only city.

Royal Sussex Regiment

The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th Regiment of Foot and the 107th Regiment of Foot. The regiment saw service in the Second Boer War, and both World War I and World War II.

World War I

On 3 March 1917, second lieutenant A. J. Brown was seconded from the Royal Sussex Regiment to the Royal Flying Corps. [2] He became a flight commander in No. 24 Squadron in December 1917. [3] (Appointment to command a flight customarily carried a temporary promotion to the rank of captain.)

Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1a rank.

Royal Flying Corps former air warfare service of the British Army

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War, until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC supported the British Army by artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance. This work gradually led RFC pilots into aerial battles with German pilots and later in the war included the strafing of enemy infantry and emplacements, the bombing of German military airfields and later the strategic bombing of German industrial and transport facilities.

Flight commander air force position

A flight commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. That constituent portion is known as a flight, and usually contains six or fewer aircraft, with three or four being a common number. The tactical need for commonality in performance characteristics of aircraft usually insures that all aircraft under a flight commander's command and control in air operations are the same or very similar types.

On 11 January 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant and stayed seconded. [4] By the date of his promotion, he was already a successful aerial warrior with two victories to his credit while flying an Airco DH.5. He would score five more quick victories in early March 1918 while flying a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. On 15 March, he was withdrawn from combat for a rest. [3]

A lieutenant is a junior most commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire services, police and other organizations of many nations.

Airco DH.5 aircraft

The Airco DH.5 was a British First World War single-seat fighter aircraft designed to replace the obsolete Airco DH.2. It was one of the first British fighter designs to include the improved Constantinesco gun synchronizer, which allowed a forward-firing machine gun to fire through the propeller faster and more reliably than the older mechanical gears. It was also one of the earliest biplanes to feature a marked "back-stagger" of its wings. The DH.5 was inferior to other fighters already in production and proved unpopular and unsatisfactory in service. It was replaced as soon as supplies of the S.E.5a permitted.

His aerial victory exploits were not the only feats responsible for his earning the Military Cross, which was gazetted on 22 June 1918:

2nd Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Alfred John Brown, Royal Sussex Regiment, and Royal Flying Corps.
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While on patrol work he and his patrol attacked two enemy two-seater machines, one of which was driven down out of control, the other being seriously damaged. On the following day he attacked a hostile reconnaissance machine, which he forced to land in our lines. On a later occasion he volunteered to attack a hostile aerodrome in foggy weather. He dropped four bombs from a height of 200 feet which blew in the sides of one of the hangars, and then attacked horse and motor transport on the road, finally engaging enemy troops in the main street of a village with machine-gun fire. He has shown great skill and daring as a leader of offensive patrols." [5]

Following the Military Cross award, he would upgrade to flying a Sopwith Dolphin for No. 23 Squadron and score one final victory. His ending victory total for the war was two enemy planes destroyed, and six sent down out of control. [3]

Sopwith Dolphin

The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the First World War. The Dolphin entered service on the Western Front in early 1918 and proved to be a formidable fighter. The aircraft was not retained in the postwar inventory and was retired shortly after the war.

On 31 August 1918, he was one of three members of his patrol that were shot down. He survived the crash landing. [3]

List of aerial victories

No.Date/TimeAircraftFoeResultLocationNotes
1 21 September 1917 @ 1705 hours Airco DH.5 serial number B362 Albatros D.V Destroyed Between Anneux and Rumilly, Pas-de-Calais, France
2 10 December 1917 @ 1200 hours Airco DH.5 s/n B4918 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Honnecourt-sur-Escaut, France
3 6 March 1918 @ 1015 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C9494 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Saint Quentin, France Victory shared with Andrew Cowper
4 11 March 1918 @ 1315 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C9494 German reconnaissance plane Driven down out of control East of Bellenglise, France Victory shared with Herbert Richardson, Ronald Mark, two other pilots
5 11 March 1918 @ 1815 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C9494 Pfalz D.III Driven down out of control Ribemont, France
6 12 March 1918 @ 1840 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C9494 German airplane Destroyed Southwest of Saint Quentin, France
7 13 March 1918 @ 1245 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n C9494 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Bellecourt, France
8 23 August 1918 @ 1859 hours Sopwith Dolphin s/n D3732 DFW two-seater Driven down out of control Between Maricourt and Suzanne, France Victory shared with two other pilots [3]

Post World War I

A. J. Brown MC was confirmed in rank as a captain in the Administrative Branch effective 28 November 1918. [6]

On 12 March 1919, Captain A. J. Brown MC "of the flying branch" resigned his commission because of poor health; however, he retained his rank. [7]

On 2 May 1919, A. J. Brown MC resigned his commission in the Sussex Regiment because of illness, but kept the honorary rank of Lieutenant. [8] However, on 16 May, this resignation was cancelled. [9]

Nothing more is known of Alfred John Brown.

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References

Notes
  1. ↑ "Alfred John Brown". The Aerodrome. 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "No. 29995". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 March 1917. p. 2853.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Shores et.al. (1997), p.88.
  4. ↑ "No. 30755". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 June 1918. p. 7299.
  5. ↑ "No. 30761". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 June 1918. pp. 7402–7404.
  6. ↑ "No. 31201". The London Gazette. 25 February 1919. p. 2741.
  7. ↑ "No. 31223". The London Gazette. 11 March 1919. pp. 3296–3297.
  8. ↑ "No. 31321". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 May 1919. p. 5488. Note: Flying officers of the era often held dual commissions–one in their parent regiment, and one in aviation. The two commissions could be in two differing ranks.
  9. ↑ "No. 31344". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 May 1919. p. 6194.
Bibliography


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