Brian Brown

Admiral Sir Brian Thomas Brown, (31 August 1934 – 27 April 2020) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel from 1988 to 1991.

Naval career Born in Fratton, Portsmouth, and educated at Peter Symonds' School, Brown joined the Royal Navy on 1 May 1952,

On promotion to acting sub-lieutenant, Brown began professional training at HMS Ceres, Wetherby, on 1 September 1954 before joining the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, for the Junior Officers' War Course and naval legal training on 4 January 1955. Courses and training successfully completed, he was confirmed as sub-lieutenant (S) on 31 August 1955 and joined the light cruiser as supply officer (cash), later being appointed, in addition, sub-lieutenant of the Gunroom; he was promoted to lieutenant on 1 May 1956.

Naval aviator A shortage of naval aviators led to a few supply officers being selected for flying training, something that was highly unlikely before the General List of Royal Navy officers was established on 1 April 1956, whereby distinction between branches of naval officers reduced markedly. Brown joined RAF Syerston on 2 June 1957 for basic flying training (BFT) on Provosts before moving on to RAF Linton-on-Ouse to continue BFT and then undergo advanced flying training (AFT) on Vampires, being awarded his Fleet Air Arm pilot's wings on 11 July 1958. His operational flying training (OFT) began when he joined the Naval Air Fighter School, HMS Fulmar, flying Sea Hawks. He spent the next three years in flying appointments, before reverting to traditional appointments as a supply officer.

In order to extend his time with the Fleet Air Arm, Brown volunteered for helicopter flying training and joined HMS Seahawk, in Cornwall, on 8 June 1959 for the helicopter conversion course with 705 Naval Air Squadron, flying Hiller HT Mk 1 and Whirlwind helicopters. Three months later he was in HMS Osprey, Portland, for the anti-submarine operational flying course in Whirlwind Mk 7s with 737 Naval Air Squadron. Training completed, in the first week of 1960 he joined 848 Naval Air Squadron, Brown was promoted to acting commander on 15 December 1969 when he took over as Secretary to Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS), in offices ashore at Fort Southwick, overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. Eighteen months later he was back in Whitehall, appointed as a member of Naval Secretary's Officers Planning Group; he was also responsible for developing policy for the training of officers of the Supply & Secretariat specialisation. He returned to HMS Heron, Yeovilton, on 11 September 1978, for his next appointment as Chief Staff Officer (Personnel & Administration) to Flag Officer Naval Air Command. three days later, on 4 January 1983, began the one-year course in London as a student at the Royal College of Defence Studies. and appointed Director-General Naval Personal Services on 28 January 1986. he joined the Navy Board as Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel and, concurrently, admiral president of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 17 June 1989 and, on 26 August, he was promoted to admiral while serving as Second Sea Lord (only the second supply officer to reach four-star rank). He was placed on the Retired List of the Royal Navy on 26 June 1991.

Later life After retiring from the Royal Navy, Brown became Chairman of the Cray Electronic's Defence Group of five companies and was also appointed a non-executive director of the main company board. and he continued to be president of the Portsmouth Services Fly Fishing Association. Lady Veronica Brown died after a short illness on 30 September 2024, at the age of 89.