Stirling Pilot
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Andrew Angus was born in Hildesay House, Peterculter, on the 10th October 1921, to George Mckenzie Brown and Christina Thom Brown, of Peterculter Aberdeenshire. The birth was registered on the 11th, by the West Peterculter Registrar, with entry F10185.
He was the third of six children: George, Christina, (Andrew), James, William and Robina, and was brought up in a quiet part of rural Aberdeenshire. He was an outdoors person, deeply involved with the countryside and its wildlife. In company with his brothers he explored and thrived in the country. He was not unaware of a few paoching tricks, thanks to their encouragement. The main employer in the Peterculter area was the paper mill, with almost all the family spending some time in their employ. Being a bright lad at Culter Higher Grade school, his headmaster was horrified when he applied for work at the local paper mill, so he placed him in an office job at Aberdeen. This did not sit well with Andrew, and after a few weeks he was back knocking at the mill door.
When war broke out he was not long in applying for the RAF. As he had little qualifications for his preferred Pilot training, his old Headmaster gave him extra tuition in various subjects to allow him to present a good picture to the Air Crew Board.
The RAF side of the story is told in another heading.