Brian McFarlane was born in Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia on 30 June 1919, the son of Commander John Clement McFarlane, RAN and Mrs Irene McFarlane. He joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Cadet Midshipman on 1 January 1933 at the RAN College at Geelong. On completion of his college time he served in the Cruiser HMAS CANBERRA before being loaned to the Royal Navy for service & training.

He served in the battle cruiser HMS HOOD from 2c June 1937 to 30 August 1937, HMS St ANGELO and HMS HOOD again from 7 January 1938 to 22 August 1938. After completing his courses for the rank of Lieutenant at HMS DRYAD, HMS VICTORY, HMS EXCELLENT & HMS VERNON he returned to Australia where he served in the battleship HMS AUSTRALIA from 2 November 1939 to 5 December 1940 having been promoted to Lieutenant on 1 November 1940.

Brian McFarlane returned to service in the Royal Navy on 6 December 1940 in the battleship HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH followed by the cruiser HMS CLEOPATRA from 1 April 1942 to 30 June 1942 and was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN on 14 September 1942. He was appointed to HMS VARBEL (12th Submarine Flotilla) at Loch Striven on 28 September 1942 where he trained as X-Craft Crew.

He was selected as Commanding Officer of the passage crew of HMS X8 for the attack on the TIRPITZ (Operation SOURCE).

Whilst X8 was being towed by HMS SEANYMPH, the tow line parted and main ballast was blown to prevent the X8 from being lost. HMS SEAYMPH did not notice that the tow line had parted and had continued her passage for another two hours before starting a search for her lost X-Craft. Luckily X8 had been sighted by HMS STUBBORN who passed the location to HMS SEANYMPH who then was able to reattach a tow line to resume the passage. The next day X8 had a problem with her trim as one of her side cargos had partly flooded. The starboard side cargo had to be jettisoned but it exploded about a quarter of an hour later. Soon after the port side cargo also developed similar flooding problems and was also jettisoned but, only after setting the fuse to explode after two hours to give time to get clear of the area. When it did explode it caused significant damage to X8.  As X8 was no further use to the Operation it was scuttled and Brian McFarlane and the others of the passage crew returned home in HMS SEANYMPH but only after carrying out a patrol off North Norway.

Brian McFarlane was next selected for ‘X-22 in Command’. X22 was accidentally sunk with all hands on 7 February 1944. X22 was under tow by HMS SYRTIS in the Pentland Firth when the Officer of the Watch of HMS SYRTIS (Lieutenant Charles Blythe, RNR) was washed overboard from the bridge. The Commanding Officer of SYRTIS (Lieutenant M H Jupp) reversed course in an attempt to rescue his ‘man overboard’ and accidentally collided with HMS X22. X22 sank at once and the crew of four including Brian McFarlane were all lost.

Brian McFarlane was the husband of Jeannie MacFarlane of Petersham, Surrey.  He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 91 Column 3 and on the 12th Submarine Flotilla memorials at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and at Kylesku.