Quintin Brand file photo [26946]

Quintin Brand

SurnameBrand
Given NameQuintin
Born25 May 1893
Died7 Mar 1968
CountrySouth Africa, United Kingdom
CategoryMilitary-Air
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseChristopher Joseph Quintin Brand was born in Beaconsfield near Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa. His father was an inspector with the Criminal Investigation Department in the Johannesburg police. In 1913, he joined the South African Defence Force. In 1915, he traveled to Britain to join the Royal Flying Corps and learned how to fly. During WW1, he served aboard Nieuport 17 reconnaissance aircraft with the No. 1 Squadron in France as a flight commander. In 1918, he was appointed the commanding officer of the newly formed No. 151 Squadron RAF, a nightfighter squadron equipped with Camel biplane fighters made by Sopwith. Brand shot down four German Gotha bombers with the No. 151 Squadron RAF, including one on the very last night of bombing on London. At the end of hte war he was awarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.

ww2dbaseIn 1920, the Times of London newspaper offered a cash prize of £10,000 for the first pilot to fly from London to Cape Town, South Africa. South Africans Lieutenant Colonel Pierre van Ryneveld commanded a Vimy aircraft (Silver Queen) made by Vickers, assisted by co-pilot Brand, departed Brooklands, Surrey, England, United Kingdom on 4 Feb 1920. They reached their first stop Heliopolis, Egypt without incident, but developed engine trouble, and had to switch to a different Vimy (Silver Queen II). At Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia, the second aircraft was damaged during takeoff, thus was forced to switch to a third plane, a DH.9, to complete the journey to Cape Town. Although the changing of planes disqualified them for the £10,000 prize from the Times, the South African government awarded them £5,000 each for their attempt. In May 1920, they were both knighted for this journey.

ww2dbaseBetween 1925 and 1927, Brand served as the Senior Technical Officer, then Principal Technical Officer, at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, Hampshire, England. In Jan 1929, he was posted to Iraq as an engineering officer. He became the Inspector General of Aviation in Egypt between 1932 and 1936. In Apr 1937, he was named the commanding officer of the No. 12 Group in Britain, in charge of defending central Britain. He served in this role through the first few months of the European War. In Jun 1940, he was named the commanding officer of the No. 10 Group at the rank of acting air vice marshal, responsible for southwestern England and southern Wales. Like Air Vice Marshal Keith Park, Brand advocated launching only enough fighters to counter any German raid in order to preserve strength. As the pressure on Britain eased, he was appointed the head of the No. 20 (Training) Group. He retired from active service on 6 Nov 1943.

ww2dbaseBrand became widowed in 1941 when his first wife Marie Vaughan passed away. After retirement, Brand married Marie's sister, Mildred Vaughan, in 1943. They lived in Surrey, England until 1950, then moved to Southern Rhodesia. Brand passed away in Umtali, Southern Rhodesia in 1968.

ww2dbaseSources:
Stephen Bungay, The Most Dangerous Enemy
Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Sep 2010

Photographs

Lieutenant Colonel Pierre van Ryneveld and First Lieutenant Quinton Brand posing before Vimy aircraft

Quintin Brand Timeline

25 May 1893 Quintin Brand was born in Beaconsfield, South Africa.
15 Mar 1916 Quintin Brand became a pilot under training with the special reserve of the British Royal Flying Corps.
30 Mar 1916 Quintin Brand received Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 3949.
14 May 1916 Quintin Brand became a pilot with the No. 1 Squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps.
1 Jun 1916 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant.
15 Feb 1917 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of captain and became a flight commander of No. 1 Squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps.
1 Apr 1917 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
26 Apr 1917 Quintin Brand was awarded the Military Cross award.
1 May 1917 Quintin Brand was transferred to England.
30 Jul 1917 Quintin Brand was appointed a flight commander of No. 112 Squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps.
13 Feb 1918 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of major and became the commanding officer of No. 112 Squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps.
1 Apr 1918 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of temporary captain.
19 Apr 1918 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of temporary major.
31 May 1918 Quintin Brand was awarded the Distinguished Service Order award.
9 Jul 1918 Quintin Brand was appointed the commanding officer of No. 151 Squadron RAF.
3 Dec 1918 Quintin Brand was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross award.
1 May 1919 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of major.
1 Aug 1919 Quintin Brand was given the rank of captain in the newly formed Royal Air Force.
4 Feb 1920 Pierre van Ryneveld and Quintin Brand departed England on a flight to South Africa.
7 May 1920 Quintin Brand received the title of Qualified Flight Instructor with the RAF Flying Training School.
14 May 1920 Quintin Brand was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
30 Sep 1920 Quintin Brand began studies at Cambridge University in Britain.
1 Jan 1922 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of squadron leader.
20 Apr 1923 Quintin Brand was appointed a staff officer at the headquarters of the No. 5 Wing RAF.
24 Sep 1923 Quintin Brand was appointed the commanding officer of No. 56 Squadron RAF.
22 Sep 1925 Quintin Brand was appointed the Senior Technical Officer at the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
29 Jan 1929 Quintin Brand was appointed the Engineer Office at the Aircraft Depot in Iraq.
1 Jul 1929 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of wing commander.
9 Aug 1929 Quintin Brand was appointed Senior Engineering Officer, RAF Depot, Middle East.
1 Aug 1932 Quintin Brand was transferred to the Egyptian government as the Director General of Aviation.
1 Jul 1935 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of group captain.
30 Mar 1936 Quintin Brand received the Order of Ismail from the Egyptian government.
10 Apr 1936 Quintin Brand was made a supernumerary member of the headquarters of the No. 6 (Auxiliary) Group RAF.
11 Jul 1936 Quintin Brand was appointed the Director of Repair and Maintenance of the RAF.
1 Nov 1938 Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of air commodore while commanding the No. 12 Group.
15 Jun 1940 Quintin Brand was appointed the commanding officer of the No. 10 Group at the rank of acting air vice marshal.
1 Jul 1940 Quintin Brand was promoted to the temporary rank of air vice marshal.
25 Jul 1941 Quintin Brand was appointed the commanding officer of the No. 20 (Training) Group.
6 Nov 1943 Quintin Brand retired from the Royal Air Force.
7 Mar 1968 Quintin Brand passed away in Umtali, Southern Rhodesia.




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Quintin Brand Photo Gallery
Lieutenant Colonel Pierre van Ryneveld and First Lieutenant Quinton Brand posing before Vimy aircraft


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