Topic: Sad news, Mick Brown ( PATTERNMAKER ) RIP (Read 5725 times)

ooyah/2 · « **on:** June 13, 2014, 11:50:49 am »

I am sad to report the passing of Mick Brown ( PATTERNMAKER ) who contributed the building of his Steam Launch WIDE AWAKE on the forum .
Mick struggled with cancer over the past few years and after some time at home died last Tuesday peacefully in hospital.

Mick was known to many of you as an ex Para and although I never met him , I only corresponded with him via e-mail over many years he was always a true friend and a gentleman.

Not many know that he was an ex- I.C. boat racer and British Champion, he did all his own modification to I.C. engines including what he called WEED WACKER engines

His skills as a Patternmaker were transferred into his boat building and his engineering expertise was second to non although he had no formal training as an engineer, it was my privilege to help him with his launch engine and Scotch Marine boiler for WIDE AWAKE which were a work of art and would not have been out of place as a Museum piece.

He will be sadly missed by me as a friend and no doubt by others on the forum.

He leaves a wife a son and a daughter.

George.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #1 on:** June 13, 2014, 11:57:01 am »

RIP Mick, you will be remembered with much fondness.

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,30710.msg303300.html#msg303300

derekwarner · « **Reply #2 on:** June 13, 2014, 12:19:36 pm »

Thankyou George......apart from the Wide a Wake build.....I think we felt for 'patternmaker' during his continued challenges with the British Government in their non recognition of his Military service...I too shared a number of PM's with Mick in the latter stages of this issue
Our thought's and respect to his family........Derek

Jerry C · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2014, 12:29:14 pm »

Patternmaker, another good one "crosses the bar". Sadly short changed by our grateful authorities. Thankyou Mick for your example and inspiration. Journey over, rest in peace.

Guy Bagley · « **Reply #4 on:** June 13, 2014, 12:40:27 pm »

sad news, - gone but not forgotten - condolences to family left behind

SailorGreg · « **Reply #5 on:** June 13, 2014, 01:16:32 pm »

I'd like to add my small voce to the sentiments already expressed. I admired and enjoyed Mick's boatbuilding and engineering skills and it was sad to hear of his frustration at his treatment by the authorities. We have lost a gem.

RIP Patternmaker

tigertiger · « **Reply #6 on:** June 13, 2014, 01:38:41 pm »

Sad news indeed. A great engineer.

My condolences to the family.

KBIO · « **Reply #7 on:** June 13, 2014, 03:38:17 pm »

Hello!
Real sad.
Condoleances to his family.
Paternmaker and his wonderfull launch will stay in our mind for ever.

knoby · « **Reply #8 on:** June 13, 2014, 07:26:19 pm »

I was fortunate enough to Meet Mick on a few ocasions through contact made on this site. He only lived a few miles down the road & invited me over to see his wideawake launch. Whilst the pictures showed how good it was, it was considerably better in the flesh, a totally mesmerising model. Mick was a true gentleman who posessed an ability to make a first class job of anything he turned his hand too, be it engineering, woodword, model making & of course model power boat racing at world championship level.

Another man who helped his country when it needed him, but recieved no help from his country when he needed it's help. A terrible injustice !!

I have no doubt he has now passed through those pearly gates, & equally have no doubt he could have made a better job of making them than the Lord did.

Rest in peace Mick, the world is a poorer place for your passing.

Condolenses to your family.

Glenn

Tug-Kenny RIP · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2014, 10:10:30 pm »

Very sad news indeed. My condolences go out to his family on this sad occasion

I also admired his work and he will be sadly missed.

ken

Neil · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2014, 10:37:10 pm »

and from me too, a man with morals, standards principles and a b****y fine hand for modelling.
god bless him and his family. neil

frazer heslop · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2014, 10:51:14 pm »

Very sad news,
Our thoughts and prayers for Mick and his family.
God bless

muleears · « **Reply #12 on:** June 14, 2014, 01:55:21 pm »

I am deeply saddened to hear of Mick's passing. I will miss his beautiful craftsmanship, he was a true artist. But his family will miss him more, I am sure. My condolences to them and may he Rest in Peace.

SailorGreg · « **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2014, 05:11:25 pm »

For anyone who hasn't seen Mick's builds here, the links are below. Well worth a look - or another look if you followed them first time round. Superb work.

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,30710.0.html

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,36088.0.html

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,28450.0.html

pettyofficernick · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2014, 08:25:36 am »

My condolences to Mick's family. A real craftsman, RIP....

Ramon · « **Reply #15 on:** June 19, 2014, 10:45:50 pm »

I have only just seen this thread so am very saddened to hear of Micks passing.

Though we did communicate on occasion over his Wide a Wake it was not often nor for very long but we shared that common interest of same Regiment and Battalion as well as that particular model. It will now make my own build somewhat poignant. As some may be aware I did try to help Mick with his problems of non recognition and raised this at Para branch level. Whether that actually was of help to him I'm not sure but my colleagues were all of the opinion that what was happening to him was not only wrong but totally unjust.

I shall mention his passing at our next meeting.

Though knowing nothing about him personally I thought he was a brilliant model maker based on what I had seen of his work - those who new him well will surely miss him.

RIP Mick - 'Utrinque Paratus' old soldier

ooyah/2 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 19, 2014, 11:49:44 pm »

Quote from: Ramon on June 19, 2014, 10:45:50 pm

I have only just seen this thread so am very saddened to hear of Micks passing.

Though we did communicate on occasion over his Wide a Wake it was not often nor for very long but we shared that common interest of same Regiment and Battalion as well as that particular model. It will now make my own build somewhat poignant. As some may be aware I did try to help Mick with his problems of non recognition and raised this at Para branch level. Whether that actually was of help to him I'm not sure but my colleagues were all of the opinion that what was happening to him was not only wrong but totally unjust.

I shall mention his passing at our next meeting.

Though knowing nothing about him personally I thought he was a brilliant model maker based on what I had seen of his work - those who new him well will surely miss him.

RIP Mick - 'Utrinque Paratus' old soldier

Ramon,
Mick was a very modest man, what is not known too much about him was his efforts to save lives during the Canvey Island flooding in 1953.

In a conversation with him he told me of the lives saved by him going about in the dark in a small row boat, dead bodies that he pulled from the waters from all sorts of difficult places.

He was offered a medal in recognition of his bravery and rescue attempts which he refused as he said he was only doing what any decent young man would do.

He never confided in what he did in his stint in the Para's only that his spine was crushed in 2- places which bothered him so much in later life, so like you he must have done many jumps, he had a chair in his workshop which had castors on it allowing him to swing from one machine to the other and although in pain most of the time just look at the models he built here is a link to the 1953 floods and his thread on his model builds ( http://www.canveyisland.org/category_id__214_path__0p2p28p.aspx )

I was privileged to give him the drawings of the boiler for Wide Awake and in helping with the machining of the Launch engine and the boiler build.

He was a craftsman in anything he turned his hand too, his love was working with wood.

I do miss our telephone conversations and many a time wished that I lived nearer to him , he is sorely missed.

George.

Ramon · « **Reply #17 on:** June 20, 2014, 07:02:02 pm »

Hello George - thank you for that. I did not appreciate he was so disabled - he never mentioned it in our communications.

Though I was aware he had been involved in the floods I was not aware to the extent you describe.That would have made him a very diligent[/size] young man to do what he did[/size] as this must have been just before he was called up. I do know he was one of those privileged Para's (I think it fair to say most paras would think so!) that was on the last drop into action since the war at El Gamil in Suez in 1956. There's been an awful lot of blokes para trained since then without that experience! .I now have my boiler ready for testing - I intend to fit the hull out around September time onwards - I shall have Mick firmly in mind when I doThanks again George - Ramon

southsteyne2 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 22, 2014, 01:05:31 pm »

Very sad indeed and very thankful for his valuable help in building my own wide-awake a wonderful model maker and will be sadly missed
John

Kerrsy · « **Reply #19 on:** July 02, 2014, 11:47:02 am »

I've just seen this and feel a loss. Mick helped me a great deal with my Alaska and Maranda,
It was mick that put me onto George who has become a friend also.
My best wishes to his family
Isn't it a shame that his (and our) skills and knowledge cannot be past on in there entirety.

R.I.P.

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Author Topic: Sad news, Mick Brown ( PATTERNMAKER ) RIP (Read 5725 times)