The papers consist of certificates, 1899 to 1929, appointments, 1894 to 1932, and letters, including those from the Foreign Office and British Embassy (Washington) in appreciation of his service, 1925, and those from Vice-Admiral Dalton (1904- ) about substituting 'Chief Naval Engineer Officer' as a title for the former 'Engineer-in-Chief of the Fleet', 1959.

Administrative / biographical background
Brown entered the Navy in 1894 as an engineer student at Devonport Dockyard, qualifying in 1899 as a Probationary Assistant Engineer. Be became an engineer lieutenant in 1900, engineer lieutenant-commander in 1912, engineer commander in 1917 and engineer captain in 1924. Between 1921 and 1925 he was Assistant Naval Attache in Washington. In 1930 he became engineer rear-admiral and in 1932 was appointed vice-admiral and Engineer-in-Chief of the Fleet, until his retirement in 1936.