Micilin,, I knew Eric "Winkle" Brown RN, and let me explain how. In Dec,1968, I left Hampshire in England, the county where i grew up, and moved to Lossiemouth in Scotland where i got married, and still reside to this day. In early 1969, I managed to get a job at the local Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm base, HMS Fulmar. This base had Hawker Hunter Jets, Gannets, Buccanneer Bombers, Helicopters etc. It was a major NATO Naval Base. Anyway, Captain Eric Brown was the station Commander, he was the number one at HMS Fulmar. I worked in the Wardroom (the officers mess) at HMS Fulmar. I saw him every day. Captain Eric Brown and his wife lived in a large house called "The Manse", an old Victorian vicarage just outside the main gate at HMS Fulmar. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence. Eric Brown used to come into the Wardroom every lunchtime. In 1970, Captain Eric Brown finished his command at HMS Fulmar. I remember seeing him, in his official car, being pulled "ashore" by Naval ratings. Although HMS Fulmar was a "land base", it was classed as an "aircraft carrier", and once Captain Brown's official car was pulled out of the main gate, he was "ashore". HMS Fulmar at Lossiemouth no longer exists.
The RAF took over at Lossiemouth around 1974, and today it is a massive, major NATO base, RAF Lossiemouth, home to squadrons of RAF Typhoon fighter jets, which have an around the clock, 24/7 rapid response Typhoon aircraft. The Group Captain, officer commanding at RAF Lossiemouth now resides in The Manse.
I would love to see Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown get the knighthood he deserves. It's because of people like him that we enjoy our freedom today. Nothing annoys me more than to see someone who wins a race riding a bicycle, then getting a knighthood. I signed a petition today to add my name to the list, calling for the recognition he deserves.
