Royal Navy pilot LCDR Paul Hannigan with CHAP John Connolly accepts the ashes of LCDR Doug Brooks from his wife Margaret. LCDR Brooks ashes were scattered from Shark 10, an 817 Sqn Seaking, at sea off Jervis Bay. Photo by ABPH Kaye Adams.

It was very appropriate; Fleet Air Arm aviators laid a "real" pilot hero to rest the other day.

Handed to a chaplain and crew of an RAN Sea King helicopter by his widow his ashes were flown out over Jervis Bay and consigned to the Tasman Sea.

It did not matter that the ashes were those of a Royal Navy hero.

"He was a real star," the commanding officer of 817 Squadron CMDR Ken MacAulay-Black said.
"It was the least we could do."

Our story involves LCDR Douglas Brooks, an Englishman who came to Australia after the war.
A long time Cremorne resident, he died in Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital in January.

Doug was serving as a sub lieutenant in HMS Indomitable during a Malta convoy in 1942 when a bomb hit the ship forward and started a large fire in "A group" of 4.5 turrets.

"SBLT Brooks ran a hose from the port side and played it on the flames," his captain wrote in a recommendation for a decoration.

"The ammunition in the ready-use locker was exploding but SBLT Brooks remained in the blazing inferno playing his hose to good effect that within 30 minutes the fire was under control.

"This splendid example shown by this young officer was an inspiration to the other fire parties who worked with him and was to a high degree responsible for the fire being so quickly mastered and a dangerous situation thereby averted."

For his actions he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Doug's courage did not end there.

On June 3, 1944 his commanding officer wrote to him declaring, "I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to inform you that they have learned with great pleasure that, on the advice of the First Lord, the King has been graciously pleased to approve the grant to you of a Bar to the DSC for undaunted courage, skill and determination shown when in command of 831 Naval Air Squadron operating from HMS Victorious in the daring attack carried out on the German battleship Tirpitz on the 3rd of April 1944."

Doug was only 23 when he took command of the squadron.

"He finally left the service in October 1948 and we settled in Sydney in 1965," his wife Margaret said.
"In his spare time he manned the rescue boat for the Balmoral Sailing Club.

"In retirement he spent about 14 years as a volunteer with the Sydney Heritage Fleet.

"For seven years he was the bosun on the Lady Hopetoun.

"We were married for nearly 58 years. We had a wonderful life together," she said.

The couple has two children, Mrs Valerie Prentice and Mr Richard Brooks.

After her husband's death Mrs Brooks inquired if his ashes could be committed to the sea from an RAN aircraft.

LCDR Matt McCormack, the military support officer with DCO/North was contacted and submitted the appropriate requests and paperwork.

"Yes", the RAN would recognise this hero.

On Thursday, August 22, on the hardstand of 817 Squadron at the Naval Air Station, HMAS Albatross, Mrs Brooks handed a container holding Doug's ashes to base chaplain John Connolly and RN exchange pilot LCDR Paul Hannigan.

Minutes later she watched as the grey painted Sea King lifted off and headed east towards the sea.

Her husband... a hero...had been laid to rest the way, she, and he, would have liked.
.

By Graham Davis