Wilfred Banks Duncan Brown was born in Greenock in Scotland on 29 November 1908. He was educated at Rossall School and later received honorary degrees from Brunel (DTech) in 1966, Illinois (Doctor of Laws) in 1967 and Cranfield (DSc) in 1972. In 1939 he married Marjorie Hershall Skinner, with whom he had three sons. He died on 17 March 1985.