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Captain Arthur Roy Brown1893 - 1944

Description

Story of Captain Roy Brown and his life after the war.

Article Text

In March 1919, Captain Roy Brown returned to Carleton Place on de-mobilization leave. Still suffering from injuries suffered in his crash, he began physiotherapy treatments in Toronto. The volunteer nurse who administered the treatments was Edythe Monypenny, daughter of Thomas Monypenny, Chairman of the National Military Committee of the YMCA. Roy Brown and Edythe Lois Monypenny were married in Toronto on February 19th, 1920. They later had two daughters, Margaret and Barbara, and a son, Donald. Roy’s first civilian job was as Secretary of the Board and Chief Accountant for the Imperial Varnish and Color Company of Toronto, owned by his father-in-law.

In 1928 Roy Brown started a small airline company called General Airways Limited, operating out of Amos, Quebec. It was a pioneer in servicing remote mining companies and communities in Northern Quebec and Ontario.

In 1934 Roy retired from the Imperial Varnish and Color Company to devote all his time to his own company, expanding over the years until it was one of the leading Northern airlines. When the Canadian Government entered the airline business, Roy sold the company.

During the late 1930’s, Roy advised the Stinson Aircraft Company of Detroit, influencing the design and production of many of their successful bush planes. In February 1943 he took a job at Canadian Aviation Magazine, but soon retired for health reasons. Roy then purchased a run-down farm near Stouffville, Ontario, and expanded it into a prosperous dairy and breeding business.

When WWII began Roy travelled to Ottawa to enlist with the RCAF but was rejected, due to old injuries and poor health incurred from his WW1 service. In 1943, he ran for a seat in the Ontario legislature as a Liberal in the riding Toronto-Woodbine, but was not elected.

“The postwar period is more serious than winning the war. We who served in the last war know what it is to get kicked out of the service and then wonder where to turn and where to go to make a living. I got back into civilian life last time with 27 fractures and was a nervous wreck. I got no pension. That kind of thing must never happen again.”

Captain Arthur Roy Brown died of a heart attack at age 50, on March 9th, 1944 in Stouffville, Ontario. Roy Brown never bragged about his achievements nor kept track of the number of aircraft he shot down. He was confident of his abilities, and of his men. He led them well, never losing a man in his flight. Even crippled with battle fatigue and exhaustion he fought against the enemy, for he knew the men on the ground needed aerial protection to succeed. He undoubtedly shortened his life with his fierce determination to succeed as a fighter pilot and leader. It is exactly this determination that makes heroes of men.

Source

Roy Brown Society: Life After the War

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