posted on 2024-06-05, 19:46authored byTheir Finest Hour Project Team
<p dir="ltr">Edgar Lewis Brown joined the RAF at 17 years old, after lying about his age. He started his training in Tiger Moths in the Scilly Isles and progressed from there. </p><p>In 1943, he was shipped out to Burma, on his own. It's unclear quite what his role there was, but whilst there, he crashed. He was hurt but was able to get out of the aircraft, and evade capture, making his way to safety. He was sent to a hospital in India to recover, before returning to active service in Burma. It was while he was in Burma that his daughter was born, but he didn't get to see her until some considerable time after the end of the war, when troops from that area of conflict were returned home. She was 3 years old and until then had been in an all-female family. </p><p>He never spoke of his experiences in the war.</p>
(1) Edgar in Burma aged 23
(2) - (4) Flying silk scarf map of Bruma 1943-45
(5) - (11) Pilots log book along with some details of service and images of targets e.g. a bombed bridge
(12) - (15) Four medals, ribbons and badges. The middle medal is the Burma Star
Person the story/items relate to
Edgar Lewis Brown
Person who shared the story/items
Sandra Curtis
Relationship between the subject of the story and its contributor
Daughter
Type of submission
Shared at West Meads Community Hall, West Sussex on 11 November 2023. The event was organised by Bognor Regis u3a.