Astonishing news has emerged that shatters the long-held myth about the family tree of British aviator legend Arthur Whitten Brown. The co-pilot who helped write history with John Alcock in 1919 by flying non-stop across the Atlantic, has seven living relatives still going strong today.
Meet Judy Bain, an 81-year-old Perth resident who's at the epicentre of this astonishing discovery. She recently learned that her biological father was none other than Arthur 'Buster' Brown, a dashing RAF pilot whose untimely death on D-Day during the Second World War left a family torn apart.
Buster's own father, the remarkable Arthur Whitten Brown senior, had just achieved what many thought impossible – flying 1,950 miles from Newfoundland to County Galway in an incredible 16 hours and 12 minutes. His daring feat earned him, alongside John Alcock, not one but two knighthoods, sending shockwaves of excitement across the globe.
Judy's birth mother, Elsie Barber, a fierce member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, found herself caught in a whirlwind romance with Buster at an RAF base in Shropshire back in 1944. Elsie was just 24 and single at the time, while Buster was 21 and newly married – yet their clandestine affair resulted in Judy being born out of wedlock.
After Buster's tragic death on D-Day, Elsie made the heart-wrenching decision to give her precious daughter up for adoption. A couple from Cornwall welcomed Judy into their family, unaware of the astonishing connection she would one day make with her birth family.
Judy had always known she was adopted but the mystery surrounding her origins remained a puzzle she was determined to solve. She began her search in earnest during the 1990s and eventually tracked down Elsie in Cornwall in 1994. But it wasn't until Elizabeth Salmon, Elsie's daughter-in-law, poured over family records that Buster Brown was finally confirmed as Judy's father.
This 'eureka moment', which came to light in 2020, sent shockwaves of excitement through the Brown family and provided a poignant new chapter to the story of an aviation legend whose name will forever be etched in history. As we mark Arthur Whitten Brown's birthday today, it's clear that his legacy is far from over – with seven living descendants carrying on his remarkable family tradition.