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Captain Eric Melrose Brown CBE DSC AFC KCVSA PhD Hon FRAeS RN (Retd), one of the greatest aviators to have ever lived, passed away peacefully in East Surrey Hospital on 21st February, after a short illness, aged 97.

80 years ago, in March 1936, a brand new prototype British fighter took to the skies on its maiden flight. At the time those involved could not possibly have realised the significance of the event or that thousands of the mass produced versions of the aircraft would play a vitally important part in world history in the next decade. The aircraft was the prototype Spitfire K5054.