Christopher de Saumarez Brock

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Commander Christopher de Saumarez Brock, (26 December, 1898 – 29 November, 1942) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Brock served in Venerable from the outbreak of the war through being ordered back to England on 24 July, 1916. On 8 August 1916 he was appointed to serve in the battlecruiser Repulse from her commissioning 6 May, 1917 when he was appointed to the fast mine-laying leader Abdiel.[1]

Brock was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 February, 1919.[2]

Brock was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 February, 1927.[3]

On 7 October 1929 Brock received an appointment to work with the British Naval Mission to Greece. In 1930 while on this appointment, he showed "courage, energy, & zeal in carrying out trials with Davis Escape apparatus". He returned to regular service when he was appointed in command of L 18 on 14 December, 1931, assuming command of the boat on 15 December.[4]

Brock was re-appointed in command of L 18 when he was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1932. He was superseded in command on 29 June, 1933 and went onto half pay.[5]

World War II

One week's appointment to Merlin in August, 1939 and then to Cochrane, additional, for plotting duties at Rosyth. On 15 January, 1942, a Court Martial found Brock to be guilty of a charge of having disclosed secret naval information of an official character to a person to whom he was not authorised to communicate it. He was merely reprimanded in the event.[6]

On 2 September 1942 he was appointed to Excellent, additional, for Spider. He went missing, presumed killed, in the crash of a Sunderland aircraft operating over Biscay Bay on 29 November 1942, aged 43.[7][8]

See Also

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
John Murray
Captain of H.M.S. H 33
1 Mar, 1926[9][10][11] – 9 Feb, 1928[12]
Succeeded by
Sydney M. Raw
Preceded by
Henry B. Crane
Captain of H.M.S. L 71
9 Feb, 1928[13][14] – 2 Sep, 1929[15]
Succeeded by
George W. E. Castens
Preceded by
Gerald G. Slade
Captain of H.M.S. L 18
14 Dec, 1931[16][17] – 29 Jun, 1933[18]
Succeeded by
Guy H. Bolus

Footnotes

  1. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  2. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  3. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  4. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  5. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  6. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  7. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  8. WW2Talk BBS.
  9. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  10. The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 243.
  11. "Naval Appointments." The Times (London, England), 19 Feb. 1926, p. 26.
  12. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  13. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  14. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 251.
  15. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  16. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.
  17. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 249.
  18. Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/121/81. f. 81.