Born in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, he was educated at Hilton College in the Natal and the South African School of Mines.  He gained Royal Aero Club Certificate No 358 on 14 October 1915.

Appointed SASO of the recently formed Egypt Group, he soon had a more active role as commander of Advance Wing, Egypt Group.  This wing controlled the forward elements of Egypt Group which would eventually build up into the Desert Air Force.  The day before Italy declared war on Britain, however, the Wing was absorbed back into 202 Group (the renamed Egypt Group) when Air Commodore Collishaw moved his Group HQ forward to Maaten Bagush.  The highly fluid fighting of the western Desert led to another reorganisation in February 1941 when Collishaw moved his HQ back to Egypt leaving the forces in Cyrenaica under Brown’s command as AHQ Cyrenaica.

With the disbandment of AHQ Cyrenaica, he was put in command of the air forces to be used in support of British forces attacking Syria.   Syria at that time was controlled by Vichy France and the fear of the Germans using it to attack Iraq or the Middle East from the rear was sufficient to warrant it’s invasion.

Whilst AOC Levant, he undertook support of the Battle of Habbaniya, by attempting to prevent the re-enforcement of Iraqi forces by the Germans.

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Service Cross

“Flight Sub-Lieutenant Leslie O. Brown.

For bravery, zeal and ability shown in many long flights over enemy territory on reconnaissance work and bomb-dropping expeditions; was repeatedly under fire.”

(London Gazette – 15 June 1917)

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