The Association has learned of the death of Lt Cdr Brian Vivian Giffin RN on 6 March 2022.
Obituary below by John de Winton
Lieutenant Commander Brian Vivian Giffin RN
John deWinton writes that Brian died on 6 March 2022 after a heart attack at home, 2 days before his 88th birthday. His elder brother Norman joined the RAF and Brian and his twin brother Alan joined the Royal Navy in February 1952 as short service pilots. Both trained on Prentices and Harvards at RAF Syerston and then fighter OFS at Culdrose and Lossiemouth on Meteors, Vampires and Attackers. They joined 803 NAS at Halfar in early 1954 and Brian got about 180 hours on the Attacker, including embarked time in HMS Albion before the squadron converted to Seahawks. Very sadly his twin brother was killed in an Attacker in May 1954, at Halfar, when his engine failed on take-off and the aircraft crashed. In 1955, 803 NAS embarked in HMS Centaur for a Far East trip and was also based at Ford.
In November 1955, Brian joined the Meteor Target Towing Flight at Lossiemouth, which is where I first met him as I had also just been sent there to get Meteor experience before doing the RAF Night Fighter Course. The boss, Lieutenant Ian Shirras, died very suddenly and unexpectedly of Polio and I found myself the senior of the pilots although, very inexperienced having only just finished OFS. Very sensibly, Brian was put in charge and we got on very well together and started a lifelong friendship. After a couple of years he joined 898 Seahawk Squadron at Brawdy and spent embarked time in HMS Eagle in the Med in 1958. In 1959 he went to RAF Chivenor on exchange as the naval pilot on 229 OCU flying Hunters and in 1961 spent six months “Fishhead” time in HMS Meon in the Gulf and was transferred to the General List. We met up again, professionally, in 1962 when he came to the Buccaneer Mk1 IFTU at Lossiemouth shortly before joining the first Buccaneer MK 1 Squadron, 801, which formed at Lossie in July 1962. On 26 July, as the SP, I flew him on his first flight in a Buccaneer and he then teamed up with his observer, ‘Polly’ Perkins. We had an accident free 18 months together in 801 with embarked time in HMS Ark Royal and then HMS Victorious in the Far East, under Ted Anson with Mike Clapp as the Senior Observer.
In the summer of ’63, at Lossiemouth, a bunch of attractive Australian girls, all nurses, teachers etc., each one driving a red mini, were in the Morayshire area, employed marketing and selling Australian canned fruits and products in the UK for the Trade Publicity Department of Australia House. Two of the girls were spotted on the beach at Findhorn by a couple of eagle eyed 801 aviators, who invited the lot (including Kay) to a party at the Gordon Arms. Mutual attraction between Brian and Kay was instantaneous and resulted in their marriage in Elgin in April 1964. By then I was CO of 809, Buccaneer Trials and Training Squadron and Brian was the Senior Pilot and as Kay’s father could not get over from Australia, I was aske d to give her away. A most enjoyable chore.
Brian then had a stint at Biggin Hill, interviewing prospective aviators and in 1965 he was back in the Buccaneer world and joined 700B Flight, the Mk 2 IFTU at Lossiemouth as Senior Pilot and then as Senior Pilot of 801 Squadron, the first MK2 Squadron which formed in October. The Squadron was embarked in HMS Victorious in the Far East in 1966. He was Lt Cdr Flying at Lossiemouth from 1967 to 1969, before a final stint in the RN in DNAW.
He left the RN in 1971 and joined Dan Air and then Air Europe and flew regularly, mainly on Charter Flights in Europe from Gatwick until retiring in 1989. Brian and Kay, lived all over the place during their married life, Silchester, Grayshott, Cornwall, Somerset, Port Solent, Bunbury Western Australia, and most recently at West Liss, nort h of Petersfield. Quite difficult to keep up with all the moves, but great fun to visit.
Brian and his twin brother were keen pianists in their youth and Brian was a most accomplished artist all his life and from the 70’s onwards concentrated on water colours. Many homes have examples of his works, from oils in the early Lossiemouth period through large Australian ‘outback’ work to seascapes and yachts, English Villages and Somerset Levels and Moors. Every time they moved, the house required space for Brian’s studio and he had many exhibitions over the years. Golf was high on his list of enjoyments and as both of us agreed on that, we spent many happy hours on golf courses, including the course just outside his house in Bunbury, Western Australia. Croquet was another activity we both enjoyed. When in Port Solent he had a yacht in the Marina and sailed in the Solent and Channel and on holidays, flotilla sailing in the Aegean with his family.
Brian and Kay had two boys, Alastair and Guy, both married with three children each and all participated at Brian’s funeral on 8 April, which I sadly missed having contracted Covid.
Brian was a much loved husband, father and grandfather, calm, unflappable, kind, gentle, caring and generous. He never lost his temper and always had a sense of fun and a ready grin and smile. A first class pilot, cool in a crisis and much admired by those he flew with. He flew some twenty naval aircraft types with 2,500 hours and 450 deck landings. His final total of hour s flown including Civil Air was approximately 12,000 hours. Much missed by all who knew him.