Leslie BROWN

1924 - 1956

• Born	10 Sep 1924	Liverpool, Lancashire, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	Mar 1956	Liverpool, Lancashire, England
  Notes	HMS Pretoria Castle was an armed merchant cruiser and escort aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She had previously been the ocean liner Pretoria Castle of the Union-Castle Line; built at Harland & Wolff shipyards in Belfast, Northern Ireland and launched in 1938. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in October 1939, and converted to an armed merchant cruiser with 6-inch and 3-inch guns, entering service in November 1939. In this role she served mainly in the South Atlantic. In July 1942 she was bought outright by the Navy for conversion to an escort carrier at the Swan Hunter shipyards in Tyne and Wear. She was commissioned in this role in July 1943 and was operated as a trials and training carrier, seeing no active combat service. In 1945 she became part of aviation history when British test pilot Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown landed Bell Airacobra Mk1 on her flight deck - the first carrier landing made using an aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage. This was due to a declared emergency during initial trials for rubber deck landings planned for future carriers. Post-war, the ship was sold back to the Union-Castle Line in 1946 and converted back to a passenger liner, being renamed the Warwick Castle and operating on routes from England to South Africa. She was eventually sold and scrapped in Barcelona in 1962.
  Person ID	I2050	Brian's Family Tree
  Last Modified	5 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	David BROWN,   b. 22 Jul 1895, 53, Howe Street (house), Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England ,   d. 23 Feb 1945, 42, Adelaide Street, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
  Mother	Mary SLOAN,   b. 30 Sep 1893, 11th court 3rd house, Orange Street, (Dale St), Liverpool, Lancashire,England ,   d. 6 May 1973, Bootle Hospital,, Bootle, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
  Married	15 Feb 1919	Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Great Homer Street,, Liverpool,Lancashire,England
  Family ID	F630	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Leslie's class at Major Lester Council School - 1932
  		Leslie Brown at home, Adelaide Street, Everton, Liverpool
  		Leslie Brown
  		Les Brown at convalescent home
  		RN hospital ward, Gillingham, Kent
  		Royal Naval Hospital gate, Gillingham, Kent
  		U.Dave, Mary, Les - 1928
  		U.Dave, Mary & Leslie - Spring 1929
  		U.Dave, Mary & Les - 1929
  		U.Dave & Leslie aged 3 - Mar '28
  		U.Dave & Les Brown
  		Twins, Mary and friends
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		G.David & Mary Brown on beach
  		Medal for King Edward VIII Coronation
  		Medal for King Edward VIII Coronation ii
  		First day at school Brown twins first day at school, standing in Adelaide Street, Everton, Liverpool
  		twins first school day.jpg

  
  

  Documents

  Leslie Brown's birth certificate

  
  

• Sources

  [S242] Birth certificate Leslie Brown 1924, (photocopy).