In Memory F/Lt Jack Brigham DFC By Len Davies
Crew of TS 524 6G-O 223 Sqn Oulton September 44 – April 45
F/Lt Jack Brigham’s Crew
Back row: F/Sgt Fred Rankin (A/G), F/O Ted Reiser (2nd Pilot), F/O Green (Sp Op), W/O Dave Johnson (W/Op), F/Lt Jack Brigham (1st Pilot), F/O Reed (Sp Op), Sgt Len Davies (A/G)
Front row: F/O Glyn Jones (NAV), F/Sgt Dave Jones (F/E), Sgt John Denny (A/G), Sgt Lou Moran (A/G)
Jack Brigham showed an interest in aircraft and flying from an early age. As a boy he saved up his pocket money to take a flight from Hanworth Air Park near Twickenham to Blackpool, igniting the flames of his enthusiasm to become a flyer.
He accepted sponsorship to join the Daily Express’s Civil Air Guard Scheme, at the age of twenty three and obtained his “A” Civil Pilots Licence in June 1939. This training cost him two shillings and sixpence per hour.
He enlisted for the RAF on 20th September 1939, but service was deferred until May 1940. After a period of Initial Training, his RAF flying training began at 15 E-FTS Carlisle, on Magisters. By November 1940 he completed his flying training at No 6 SFTS, Little Rissington, on Ansons and obtained his RAF Wings.
In March 1942 having completed a course of training on Hudson aircraft, he was posted to 200 Sqdn. Coastal Command at Bathurst in the Gambia, West Africa (having first completed a Navigation Course at George, South Africa). For 11 months he was involved in Anti-sub Patrols and Convoy escorting.
Following a period of “rest” at No 4 (C) OUT at Alness, Rosshire, he spent 2 months at No 111 OTC Nassau, Bahamas on Liberator Training.
In September 1944 he joined 223 Sqdn on Special Duties at Oulton, Norfolk, where, with his crew of 10, he completed over 30 missions. He left Oulton in June 1945 for Lancaster training at Ossington, Notts.
On the 4th January 1946 he was seconded to B.O.A.C. mainly flying Lancastrians but also York, Oxford and Hythes operating from Hurn and Heathrow which at that time consisted of a collection of Nissan Huts serving as the passenger terminal! He became in effect one of the pioneers of the Australia run which consisted of stops at C. Benito, Lydda, Karachi, Calcutta, Singapore, Darwin en route to Sydney. By slipping crews to maintain the schedule it would take him about 10 days to get to Sydney! During his flying career he logged a total of 3080 hours which even by today’s standards is no mean achievement.
He was so impressed with Australia that he would have emigrated with wife and family under the £10 Passage Scheme as he was offered a post with Qantas. However this was not to be and he decided to join his father in running the family Road Haulage business in Hounslow and left B.O.A.C. on 8th June 1948. He retired in 1977 down to Poole and moved to Alton after his wife Eileen died in December 1999. He died peacefully on the 27th April 2007 at Marlfield Nursing home and is survived by 2 sons and a daughter, 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
One of his grandsons follows in his footsteps by piloting an Airbus 304 with Cathay Pacific Airlines.
As a member of his crew on 223 Sqdn, Oulton, I had the greatest confidence in his captaincy. Under all circumstances, he remained totally in control of the Liberator aircraft (TS 524, 6G-O mostly), whether it was struck by anti-aircraft fire or suffering a burst tyre on landing.
In compiling this material I must express my gratitude to members of his family from whom most of this material has generally been provided
Crew of 223 Squadron (BS) 100 Group RAF Liberator 6G-O (TS 524)
Photographed at OULTON, Norfolk, November 1944
Used on 17 Missions
Back Row: Sgt J Denny (A/G), Sgt L Davies (A/G), F/O Glyn Thomas (NAV), F/Lt Jack Brigham (Captain), F/Sgt D Jones (F/E), F/O Ted Reise (RCAF, 2nd Pilot)
Front Row: F/Sgt F Rankin (RCAF M/U 9), Sgt Lou Moran (A/G), W/O) Dave Johnson (W/Op), F/O Green and F/O Reed (Special Wireless Operators)
Len Davies
Len Davies and Jack Brigham kept in contact until Jack’s death in 2007
This article is from the Autumn 2007 issue of Confound and Destroy
