LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Edwin Hanlon BROWN DFC
Service No: 402724
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 9 May 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1940 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 682 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 21 May 1943
Died: Air Operations (No. 680 Squadron Spitfire aircraft AA803), off the Algerian Coast, 5 May 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: El Alia Cemetery, Algeria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas John and Beatrice Lilian Brown, of Upper Undulla, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: “This officer has completed 62 sorties and has invariably displayed great skill and determination. This was amply demonstrated one day in April 1943, when he successfully accomplished a reconnaissance flight over Naples and adjacent area in the face of heavy and accurate fire from the ground defences. His keenness and devotion to duty have been worthy of high praise.” (London Gazette 21 May 1943, Page 2347)
On 5 May 1943, Spitfire AA803 was detailed to carry out a photo reconnaissance operational mission. At some stage Flying Officer Brown called to say he was about 4 miles north of Algiers, and this was immediately followed by a “May Day I am baling out” message. It would appear that he baled out from a low altitude as the parachute did not have time to open fully. His body was picked up from the sea by an Air Sea Rescue launch after it had been spotted by a Walrus aircraft.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/153