P/O N. M. Brown was born in Edinburgh and educated at South Morningside Primary School and George Heriot's School.
He joined the RAFVR in August 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. Called up on 1st September, Brown went to 3 ITW, Hastings, remaining there until April 1940 when he was posted to 30 EFTS, Derby. He went to 5 FTS in June, completed the course on September 6 and was commissioned next day. On the 16th he arrived at 7 OTU, Hawarden to convert to Spitfires.
He was posted from there on the 28th September to 611 Squadron at Digby.
He moved to 41 Squadron at Hornchurch on 12th October, 1940. Brown was one of a flight of Spitfires that overshot Hornchurch in poor visibility on 1st November and went into the London Barrage Balloon area. Brown struck a cable, seriously damaging his aircraft. He made a forced landing on a small piece of open ground in the built-up area of Dagenham.

He left the squadron in late February 1941 and left the RAF in April and spent the remainder of the war working in the timber industry.