Once his flight training in New Zealand was completed, he proceeded to the United Kingdom to serve with the Royal Air Force.

He flew Supermarine Spitfires in the Tunisian campaign and in the Allied invasion of Sicily, shooting down a number of German aircraft before being rested in December 1943.

[1][4] His new unit, equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire fighter, was based at Kenley and composed largely of New Zealand flying personnel.

[5] Weather conditions meant there was little operational flying over the winter of 1941 and into early 1942 but the pace of operations soon picked up and the squadron began to regularly fly to German-occupied France, escorting bombers or carrying out sweeps to draw out the Luftwaffe.

He overshot slightly on his landing and required the services of a tractor to turn his Spitfire around before he could taxi to the dispersal area and meet the King.

485 Squadron was taking part in a large sweep mounted by the RAF over northern France when it was intercepted by several Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters.

Browne had taken photographs of military installations during his transit south but, fearing being treated as a spy, was able to destroy the negatives before they could be found.

[3][8] Browne escaped from Fort de la Revere in the first week of September as part of a breakout made by 50 prisoners.

They boarded a fishing boat, which already carried several other escapees, at a beach and sailed out to the Mediterranean where it was intercepted by a destroyer of the Royal Navy.

[9] Browne was commissioned a pilot officer soon afterwards but on account of his spying activities while evading the Germans in France, it was deemed too risky for him to return to operations with No.

[1] At the time, his new unit was engaged in the Tunisian campaign, flying Spitfire Mk Vs from Souk-el-Khemis Airfield on fighter sweeps, bomber escort duties and Rhubarb missions.

It flew patrols over the invasion beaches and on 10 July, Browne destroyed a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber.

[1][10][11] On 13 July, while patrolling around the Augusta area, Browne and another pilot shared in the destruction of a Bf 109, without firing a shot at it.

The duo had driven the German fighter close to the ground and it flew into a valley, where it crashed into the side while evading the pursuing Spitfires.

[1][12] Browne was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in September for "gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations".

[5] This work was not without risk; on 5 January 1945, he damaged his Spitfire by flying too low and coming into contact with treetops.

However, the change in aircraft never happened due to a shortage of Tempests, and the squadron went back to Europe after two months and reequipped with Spitfire Mk XVIs at Twente, in Holland.

[1][18] Browne was awarded a Bar to his DFC in September[19] and, returning to New Zealand, his service in the RNZAF officially ended on 26 January 1946.

The final years of his working life were spent as a teacher of the sciences at a high school in Taumarunui.