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oh nine oh nine oh nine

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Lovelee
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« on: September 09, 2009, 02:05:05 pm »

Born in 1919, retired Spitfire pilot Ralph Brown has always enjoyed a profusion of nines on his birthday, but today they're well stacked - he turns 90 on the ninth day, of the ninth month, 2009.

Ralph and wife Jean moved to Nelson from Dunedin in 1999, after he'd spent much of his working life as a podiatrist.

"People said Nelson was a sleepy, one-eyed town, but we've found out that's totally incorrect," Mr Brown said.

Born in Oamaru, Mr Brown entered the family's drapery store business on leaving school, but he'd always had a great interest in flying.

As a teenager he remembers biking into the country to see a parachute jumping demonstration by a visiting German aviator. It ended in disaster as the German's parachute failed to open and he was killed on impact: "It didn't put me off flying. The Germans were far ahead of their time - you wouldn't believe how much they advanced flying technology."

Mr Brown joined the Territorials in 1937 and had risen to the rank of corporal when the war broke out. After a short stint in the army, he joined the Air Force where he trained on Tiger Moths at Taieri airport.

Then followed a spell flying in Dunville, Ontario, Canada, sometimes flying in whiteout conditions. After earning his wings he joined the Royal Navy at Nova Scotia in June 1943, where he flew Ansons, Swordfish and the Canso, which was used for hunting U-boats.

Mr Brown then flew in Newfoundland, where the fog was the biggest hazard.

In England, he began flying Spitfires when stationed at Bentwaters. He also flew Mustangs, escorting bombers on their night raids over Germany.

His Spitfire Squadron was Number 129, also known as the Mysore Squadron as planes had been gifted to Britain in World War 1 by the Maharaja of Mysore. As the war drew to a close the Mysore Squadron flew into Norway - their victory flypast a hugely appreciated morale booster for the recently-liberated Norwegians.

Returning to New Zealand in December 1945, he reunited with Jean, who he had met at an Oamaru dance in 1942, and they got married.

Mr Brown's two daughters and three grandchildren will join him and his wife for his birthday this weekend.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2848229/Oh-nine-is-a-fine-number
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