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Air Vice-Marshal Sir Quintin Brand


C J Q Brand - 1916(Christopher Joseph) Quintin      

b: 15 May 1893         r: 6 Nov 1943                  d: 9 Mar 1968

KBE - xx xxx 1920, DSO - 31 May 1918, MC - 26 Apr 1917, DFC - 3 Dec 1918, OI(E) - 30 Mar 1936.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Army): - 2 Lt (P): 15 Mar 1916, 2 Lt: 1 Jun 1916, (T) Capt: 15 Feb 1917, Lt: 1 Apr 1917, (T) Maj: 13 Feb 1918?,

(RAF): - (T) Capt [Lt]: 1 Apr 1918, (T) Maj: 19 Apr 1918, Flt Lt: 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], Sqn Ldr: 1 Jan 1922, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1929, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1935, A/Cdre: 1 Nov 1938, Act AVM: 15 Jun 1940, (T) AVM: 1 Jul 1940, AVM: Retained.

Photo - from his RAeC Certificate

xx xxx 1913:              Soldier/Officer, Army.

xx xxx 1916:                U/T Pilot, Special Reserve RFC.

14 May 1916:              Pilot, No 1 Sqn, RFC. (Nieuport 17 – Western Front)

14 Jul 1916:                 Wounded, admitted to No 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station

18 Jul 1916:                 Returned to No 1 Sqn

 4-8 Nov 1916:            Posted to Paris on Temporary Duty

21-27 Jan 1917:           Attended School of Aerial Gunnery

15 Feb 1917:               Flight Commander, No 1 Sqn, RFC.  (until at least 1 May 1917)

30 Jul 1917:                 Flight Commander, No 44 Sqn. RFC (Pup, Camel – Throwley)

13 Feb 1918:               Officer Commanding, No 112 Sqn RFC/RAF.

 9 Jul 1918:                  Officer Commanding, No 151 Sqn.  (Camel – Western Front)

xx Mar 1919:               Officer Commanding, No 44 Sqn. (Camel – Hainault Farm/North Weald)  

 1 May 1919 - 30 Jun 1919   Graded as Major (A)

 1 Jul 1919:                 

 1 Aug 1919:                Awarded Permanent Commission as a Captain

xx xxx xxxx:                  Staff, No 6 Stores Depot

 4 Feb 1920:                Temporary duty with South African Defence Force in connection with Cairo-Cape Town flight 

29 Apr 1920:               Unposted leave on completion of flight

7 May 1920:               QFI, No 1 FTS.

?                                  Attached to South African Defence Force for Flight to South Africa.

30 Sep 1920:               Attended Cambridge University.

 1 Oct 1922:                Attended London University

20 Apr 1923:               Staff, HQ No 5 Wing, Inland Area.

24 Sep 1923:               Officer Commanding, No 56 Sqn. (Snipe/Grebe)

22 Sep 1925:               Senior Technical Officer, Royal Aircraft Establishment.

xx xxx 1927:                Principal Technical Officer, Royal Aircraft Establishment.

29 Jan 1929:                Engineering Officer, Aircraft Depot, Iraq.

 9 Aug 1929:                Senior Engineering Officer, RAF Depot, Middle East.

 1 Aug 1932:                Seconded to Egyptian Government  Director-General of Aviation.

10 Apr 1936:               Supernumerary, HQ No 6 (Auxiliary) Group.

11 Jul 1936:                 Director of Repair and Maintenance.

 1 Jan 1940:                 Director of Maintenance and Design.

 9 May 1940:               Supernumerary, No 11 (Fighter) Group (pending formation of No 10 Group)

 9 May 1940:               Attached to HQ, Fighter Command

15 Jun 1940:                AOC, No 10 (Fighter) Group.

Sir (Christopher Joseph) Quintin Brand

by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, May 1939
NPG x165467

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 

 

25 Jul 1941:                 AOC, No 20 (Training) Group.

Educated by the Marist Brothers in Johannesburg, South Africa, he gained Royal Aero Club Certificate No 3949 on 30 March 1916.  He achieved 7 victories with No 1 Sqn and a further 5 with 112 and 151 Sqn’s, 151 being the only night fighter unit on the Western Front.  In 1920 he and fellow South African, Wing Commander H A Van Ryneveld, were selected to undertake the first flight from England to Cape Town.  Their flight started on 4 February 1920 in a Vickers Vimy , the Silver Queen, from Brooklands, this crashed in the Sudan following a radiator leak.  Their second Vimy, Silver Queen II, crashed on take off from Bulawayo and they eventually arrived in Cape Town on 20 March in a borrowed DH9.  For this flight Brand was knighted.

Citation for the award the of the Military Cross

"2nd Lt. (temp. Capt.) Christopher Joseph Quintin Brand, R.F.C., Spec. Res.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst on patrol with one other machine. He attacked a formation of five hostile machines and shot one of them down in flames. On another occasion he brought down two hostile machines. He has at all times shown great courage and initiative.

(London Gazette – 26 April 1917)

Citation for the award the of the Distinguished Flying Cross

“Capt. (A./Maj.) Christopher Joseph Quintin Brand, D.S.O., M.C. (FRANCE)

On the night of 15/16th September this officer attacked an enemy aeroplane at 8,000 feet. In the combat that ensued his tracers burst the sump of one of the aeroplane's engines and the oil from it covered his machine in a black spray. Almost blinded by this he still continued the engagement and eventually drove the enemy machine down to 200 ft., when, owing to intense hostile machine-gun fire from the ground, he was compelled to break off the combat. There is every reason to believe that this machine crashed. The foregoing is only one of many gallant deeds performed by this officer, who by his indomitable spirit and example has raised the efficiency of his squadron to a very high level.

(D.S.O. gazetted 31st May, 1918.)

(M.C. gazetted 26th April, 1917.)”

(London Gazette – 3 December 1918)

This page was last updated on 15/10/22

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