Basil Brooke (Royal Navy captain)

Captain Basil Richard Brooke DSO & Bar (28 November 1882 – 8 October 1929) was a British Royal Navy officer.

Brooke was the son of Townshend Brooke of Haughton Hall, Shifnal, Shropshire, and his wife Lady Wilhelmina, daughter of William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth. He was educated at Arnold House, Llandulas, and entered HMS Britannia as a Naval Cadet in 1898. He was promoted Midshipman later the same year, commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in November 1901,[1] and promoted Lieutenant in December 1903[2] and Lieutenant-Commander in 1911.

He served throughout the First World War in the Mine Clearance Force, being promoted Commander in 1916 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in July 1917[3] and a bar in January 1920.[4] He was also appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in September 1916.[5] Both his brothers were killed in the war while serving in the British Army.

Brooke retired in July 1922[6] and was promoted Captain on the retired list in November 1927.[7] In 1923 he married Katherine Cross, granddaughter of the politician R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross. He retired to Ambleside, Lancashire.[8]

Footnotes

  1. ^ London Gazette: no. 27539. p. 2145. 31 March 1903.
  2. ^ London Gazette: no. 27632. p. 26. 1 January 1904.
  3. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30159. p. 6519. 29 June 1917.
  4. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31748. p. 949. 20 January 1920.
  5. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29751. p. 9081. 15 September 1916.
  6. ^ London Gazette: no. 32736. p. 5864. 8 August 1922.
  7. ^ London Gazette: no. 33334. p. 7742. 2 December 1927.
  8. ^ London Gazette: no. 33574. p. 604. 28 January 1930.

References