Osmond de Beauvoir Brock

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Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de B. Brock, 1934.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral of the Fleet SIR Osmond de Beauvoir Brock, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., D.C.L., R.N. (5 January, 1869 – 14 October, 1947) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Brock was born at Plymouth 5 January, 1869, the eldest son and second of the six children of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock, R.N., of Guernsey, by his wife, Lucretia Jenkins, daughter of Henry Clark, of Clifton, Bristol. Brock entered the Royal Navy in January, 1882, and after leaving the Britannia served as a midshipman in masted ships for three and a half years. While in the Raleigh he was awarded the Royal Humane Society's certificate on vellum for saving a stoker from drowning in Simon's Bay. In his Sub-Lieutenant's courses he gained the maximum award of seniority, being promoted to Lieutenant, dated 14 February, 1889.[1] He specialized in gunnery and served as gunnery officer in the Cambrian, and then for five years in the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean.

Promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1900,[2] he became executive officer of the Repulse in the Channel, and afterwards of the Renown, the flagship in the Mediterranean of Sir John (later Lord) Fisher.

His first command was of the despatch vessel Alacrity on the China Station, lasting exactly one year from appointment on 3 January, 1903.[3]

Brock was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January, 1904.[4]

On 1 May, 1905 he was appointed to the battleship Bulwark.[5]

He was appointed command of the battleship King Edward VII on 27 March, 1909.[6]

He was flag captain to Lord Charles (later Lord) Beresford in the Mediterranean and later to Sir Berkeley Milne in the Home Fleet. Between sea appointments he served at the Admiralty as assistant director of naval intelligence and as assistant director of naval mobilization.

Great War

In 1913 he commissioned the new battle cruiser Princess Royal and joined the flag of David (later Earl) Beatty. He fought his ship successfully at the battles of Heligoland and the Dogger Bank, becoming Beatty's flag captain while the Lion was being repaired. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 5 March, 1915, vice King-Hall.[7]

On 15 September he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (C.M.G.) for his services at Jutland, dated 31 May.[8]

Beatty said of him in a letter: "O. de B. has developed a tremendous capacity for work and is perfectly excellent, clear as a bell, and is of the very greatest assistance." He was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (K.C.M.G.) on 1 January, 1918.[9]

Post-War

Osmond de Beauvoir Brock, 1919.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

In recognition of his services during the war, Brock was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 5 April, 1919.[10] He was promoted to Vice-Admiral on 3 October, vice Heath.[11] He accompanied Beatty to the Admiralty as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in April, 1922, and held the appointment for three years. His firm attitude to the Turks, after they had driven the Greeks out of Anatolia, was commended by the First Lord of the Admiralty in the House of Commons in 1923. He was confirmed in the rank of Admiral on 31 July, 1924, vice Madden,[12] and in 1926 hoisted his flag as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth. He was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on 31 July, 1929.[13] and was placed on the Retired List on 31 July, 1934,[14] after five years in that rank. He died at Winchester 14 October, 1947.

As the result of the King approving that Admirals of the Fleet should in future be borne on the Active List of the Royal Navy for life, on 4 March, 1940, Brock was replaced on the Active List with seniority of 31 July, 1929.[15]

Brock was appointed C.B. (1915), K.C.B. (1919), G.C.B. (1929), C.M.G. (1916), K.C.M.G. (1918), and K.C.V.O. (1917); he received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from the university of Oxford in 1929; he was a commander of the Legion of Honour and held a number of other foreign decorations. There is a portrait of him in Sir A. S. Cope's group "Some Sea Officers of the War of 1914–18" in the National Portrait Gallery; and a drawing by Francis Dodd in the Imperial War Museum.

He married in 1917 Irene Catherine Wake (died 1939), daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, second baronet, granddaughter of Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, and widow of Captain Philip Francklin who was killed at the Battle of Coronel. They had one daughter.

In a letter to Sir Vincent W. Baddeley of 1945, Brock closed by writing: "We are getting older & I hate old age; people write about its compensations, but don't convince me."[16]

Brock had great tact and charm of manner, and a humility which endeared him to those with whom he was closely associated. He was brilliantly clever and a tremendous reader. His analytical brain was ever active, and his knowledge ranged over a wide field from art to the nuclear theory. He was more interested in things than in people, but he was generous, tolerant, and a great example. Although he paid great attention to detail, he never lost sight of the principles governing a problem, and his judgement was always sound.

Bibliography

  • "Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond Brock" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 15 October, 1947. Issue 50892, col D, p. 7.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Seymour E. Erskine 		Captain of H.M.S. Alacrity
3 Jan, 1903[17] – 3 Jan, 1904[18] 		Succeeded by
Richard M. Harbord
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Enchantress
12 May, 1904[19] – 1 May, 1905[20] 		Succeeded by
Hugh Evan-Thomas
Preceded by
Edward M. Phillpotts 		Captain of H.M.S. Bulwark
1 May, 1905[21][22] – 11 Feb, 1907[23] 		Succeeded by
Bertram M. Chambers
Preceded by
The Hon. Stanley C. J. Colville 		Chief of Staff, Mediterranean Station
1 May, 1905[24] 		Succeeded by
Ernest C. T. Troubridge
Preceded by
Harry Jones 		Head of War Division
8 May, 1907[25] – 27 Mar, 1909[26] 		Succeeded by
Arthur R. Hulbert
Preceded by
Henry B. Pelly 		Captain of H.M.S. King Edward VII
27 Mar, 1909[27][28] – 9 Aug, 1910[29] 		Succeeded by
Allan F. Everett
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Princess Royal
1 Aug, 1912[30][31] – Feb, 1915[32] 		Succeeded by
Walter H. Cowan
Preceded by
Sir David R. Beatty
as Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Cruiser Squadron 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Cruiser Squadron
8 Feb, 1915[33] – 28 Nov, 1916[34] 		Succeeded by
Richard F. Phillimore
Preceded by
Charles E. Madden 		Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet
28 Nov, 1916[35] – 7 Apr, 1919[36] 		Succeeded by
Position Abolished
Preceded by
James A. Fergusson 		Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
24 Jul, 1919[37] – 1 Nov, 1921[38] 		Succeeded by
Sir Roger J. B. Keyes, Bart.
Preceded by
Sir John M. de Robeck, Bart. 		Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station
15 May, 1922[39] 		Succeeded by
Sir Roger J. B. Keyes, Bart.
Preceded by
Sir Sydney R. Fremantle 		Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Station
28 Apr, 1926[40] 		Succeeded by
Sir Roger J. B. Keyes, Bart.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26030. p. 1268. 7 March, 1890.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27150. p. 3. 2 January, 1900.
  3. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27632. p. 25. 1 January, 1904.
  5. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 24 April, 1905. Issue 37689, col C, p. 8.
  6. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29094. p. 2365. 9 March, 1915.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29751. p. 9071. 15 September, 1916.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 82. 1 January, 1918.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31274. p. 4515. 5 April, 1919.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 31610. p. 12892. 21 October, 1919.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32962. p. 5889. 5 August, 1924.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33523. p. 5145. 6 August, 1929.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34076. p. 5054. 7 August, 1934.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34807. p. 1394. 8 March, 1940.
  16. ↑ Letter of 5 November, 1945. Baddeley Papers. National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth. MSS 264.
  17. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  18. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  19. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  20. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  21. ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 288.
  22. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 24 April, 1905. Issue 37689, col C, p. 8.
  23. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  24. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  25. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  26. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  27. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 337.
  28. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  29. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  30. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  31. ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 362.
  32. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  33. ↑ Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. f. 9.
  34. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  35. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  36. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  37. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  38. ↑ Brock Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 49.
  39. ↑ "Flag Command Changes" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 21 December, 1921. Issue 42909, col D, p. 14.
  40. ↑ "Naval and Military" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 28 April, 1926. Issue 44257, col E, p. 10.

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