Leslie Brown

Who was Leslie Brown?

Sir Leslie Oswald Brown KCB CBE DSC AFC was a South African who served with the Royal Air Force in both World Wars, attaining the rank of Air Vice Marshal.

Brown served in East Africa, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. His first years were with the Royal Naval Air Service, before that was absorbed into the newly formed RAF.

He commanded 84 Group as a temporary Air Vice Marshal during the allied advance across north west Europe, assigned to support the 1st Canadian Army's operations. His staff established extremely close operational contacts with their army opposite numbers, but this was not to the liking of his superior, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham and he was replaced in November, 1944.

He was appointed Commandant of the School of Land/Air Warfare later in 1944 and reverted to his substantive rank of Air Commodore.

Brown was promoted to Air Vice Marshal in October 1946, retired from the RAF on 23 January 1949 and died on 28 June 1978.