Many of our eArticles have been researched and written by contributors, who have kindly offered us their work.
David E. Brown was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1956, where he currently resides and is married with three grown children and three grandchildren. A petroleum geologist by training, since 1979 David has lived and worked throughout North America. His interest in Luftwaffe camouflage and markings extends back to the mid-1960s and he still has an Aurora 1/48 Fw 190 A kit painted in gloss bright green and brown – thus anticipating his future research in late-war colours. David co-authored two books on the Me 262 with his colleagues from JaPo, and since the mid-1980s has written and contributed to many discussions on Luftwaffe colours and camouflage. He has also been a contributor and collaborator for many books, aviation artworks and restorations. Topics of interest include the Me 262, late-war undersides colours, and night fighter camouflage. Additional interests are camouflage and markings of the Hs 129 B in North Africa, late-war Fw 190 A/F/D, Bf 109 G/K, and German AFVs. Enjoying wine, art, and travelling are other passions that compete with his “Luftie” interests.
Leo Etgen was born in 1974, at San José in Costa Rica. He currently lives at Tres Ríos in Costa Rica and works as an English teacher in a language institute. He has always been interested in history and archaeology thanks to his mother, who inculcated in him a love of reading at an early age. What sparked his interest in Second World War aviation was the purchase of a Testors 1/72 scale Fw 190 A/F plastic model in 1988, and ever since the Fw 190 has been his favourite aircraft. Naturally, he wanted to learn more about this machine and as he delved deeper into the subject he became increasingly interested in the men and units of the Luftwaffe in general. Although the Luftwaffe and Second World War aviation are his primary passions, he is also interested in broadening his knowledge regarding military history as a whole, ancient peoples and cultures, and basically any subject that piques his interest. Additionally, he is interested in plastic scale modelling with a dominant focus being on 1/32 scale. His other hobbies include amateur astronomy, cycling, hiking, reading and web surfing.
Tim Oliver was born in 1957 in Gloucestershire, England. Having lived in various locations across England and Scotland in the intervening years, he returned to Gloucestershire in the 1990s and currently resides there with his wife Ruth. Tim worked for nearly forty years in the Agricultural Supply Industry before taking semi-retirement in 2017 and now works as a self-employed, independent consultant to the Agricultural Supply Industry, specialising in the management of sustainable supply chains. Part-time work leaves some time for Tim’s other passions, which include travel, wildlife photography and collecting World War Two memorabilia. Tim’s interest in World War Two developed at a very early age from watching war films and from extensive reading. The collecting bug also arrived at an early age with the first badges being given to Tim by his father, who had acquired them in Germany shortly after the war while on National Service. Over the years, the focus of Tim’s interest has sharpened and in recent years he has been collecting and researching the Flugbücher/Flying Log Books, awards and documents of German, British and Commonwealth aircrew. Tim is most interested in the military careers of relatively ordinary airmen who often achieved extraordinary things. Tim hopes that by understanding the realities of what they experienced we will be less inclined to engage in major wars again, while also recognising and remembering those who lived, and often died, in World War Two. Tim has been the author or contributor to several articles and books, while also providing awards, documents, photographs and research to a number of authors for use in their books.
Mikael Olrog was born in 1971 and lives in Stockholm, Sweden. He has a M.Sc. in Human Resource Development and Labour Relations with a major in Business Administration, and has worked professionally in the field of Human Resources for the last twenty years. His aviation interests began at an early age when watching aircraft arrive and take-off at Bromma airport. A visit to the RAF Museum at Hendon when aged fourteen got things going. Next step was to work as a volunteer in his teenage years at the Arlanda aircraft collection, restoring and maintaining aircraft and engines but also exploring the archive. Eventually the archive bug set in, leading to Mikael visiting and sourcing material from more than twenty archives in fifteen countries, with a focus on the Second World War era. His research has resulted in several articles published in Swedish, English and German magazines.
