WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

Hello Everyone!

I was wondering if anyone could identify the attached pilot photograph of a Supermarine Seafire pilot.

Is this Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown?? Or can anyone make a positive I.D. of who the gentleman is????

Thank you for taking a look!!

Mark Copeland
Lakeville, Minnesota

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

Does not look like him to me Mark, met him a long time ago but he was retired then.

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

Appreciate it Tony....I hope someone can offer a second opinion. His record makes Yeager look like a private pilot....amazing chap.

Mark

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

I have met Eric Brown and I would say that he is a man of surprisingly small physical stature - possibly 5'6" ish. I don't think he is the man in this photo.

Steve

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

Wasn't Brown a professional, in the RN? This pilot is "wavy navy" or Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, judging from the stripes on his sleeve. There was a colour photo session on HMS Indomitable when 880 Sq joined with their Seafires, and I believe this was taken at this time, very early 1943?

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

This is Winkle in 1941 with 802 Sqn. Not the same apparently.
Mark are you the chap from the 8thAFHS ?

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

There is a recent BBC documentary "Memories of a WWII Hero: Captain Brown's Story" which should clear this up. It recently became available for streaming on Netflix.

All the Best

Scott

Re: WWII Fleet Air Arm Color Photo and Identification - Is this Eric "Winkle" Brown???
 

Wiki

On returning to a United Kingdom now at war, he joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as a Fleet Air Arm pilot,