Winkle

[Moldiold2]

We have recently had the honour of a TV interview at the Farnborough Aerospace & Science Trust with Eric 'Winkle' Brown - the renown Fleet Air Arm and Test Pilot. Can anyone enlighten me where he got the name 'Winkle' from? The story doing the rounds at the Trust is that there has to be an extant RN pilot with the nickname and he was appointed that honour when he was in service and will hold it until he goes to the great carrier in the sky.

[Really annoyed]

Can anyone enlighten me where he got the name 'Winkle' from?

Because he was a short ar*e. Named after a periwinkle or small mollusc.

[Flying Lawyer]

His size (5' 7") is one of the three things to which 'Winkle' Brown attributes his survival:
“Firstly, I prepared myself very, very carefully for every flight. Secondly, my size worked in my favour – in the Swallow, in the crash of an Me 163 at Wittering and in other cases, I would have been killed, or at least lost my legs, had I been taller. Thirdly, there’s a small element of luck, whatever that is.”

Interesting interview here - Profile: Captain E M Brown CBE AFC DFC FRAeS RN (http://www.gapan.org/ruth-documents/guild-news/GUILD%20NEWS%20June%2009%20pt1.pdf)
It starts at page 8 of the link.

[doubledolphins]

Dear RA. He still is short and still with us.
Not too sure about his sole use of the name though. The RN is usually very unimaginative when it come to nick names. eg All Wards are Sharkys.

[NorthernKestrel]

Good video interview (in two parts) with Captain Brown here...

Video interview - Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown | Aerospace Insight | The Royal Aeronautical Society (http://www.aerosocietychannel.com/aerospace-insight/2010/09/captain-eric-brown-interview/)