Osmond Brock

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock KCB, KCMG, KCVO (1869 – 15 October 1947) was a Royal Navy officer.

Naval career

Brock was the eldest son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock of Guernsey and he joined the Navy in 1882. Appointed midshipman in 1886,^[1] he passed for Lieutenant with first classes in every subject and maximum seniority. He became a gunnery specialist^[1] and was on the staff of HMS Excellent for a year. Promoted to Commander in 1900 and Captain in 1904, he served as Flag Captain to Admiral Lord Charles Beresford and held posts at the Admiralty as Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence and Assistant Director of Naval Mobilisation.^[1] He commissioned the battlecruiser HMS Princess Royal in 1913 and joined the Battle Cruiser Squadron. During World War I Admiral Brock participated in naval engagements in the North Sea including the Battle of Heligoland Bight,^[1] the Battle of Dogger Bank^[1] and the Battle of Jutland.^[1] Promoted to Rear Admiral, he remained with the battle Cruiser Fleet and was given command of the 1st battle Cruiser Squadron.

When Beatty was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet, he took Brock with him to be his Chief of Staff from 1916 to 1919.^[1] Brock was appointed the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff and a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty in July 1919.^[1] He remained in that post until November 1921 when he was forced to undergo surgery. On his recovery he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet^[1] and had to deal with the Chanak Crisis. After three years in which the Mediterranean Fleet became Britain's major fleet, he gave way to Roger Keyes in 1925.^[1] In the following year he was appointed to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.^[1] On relinquishing his command, he was promoted to be Admiral of the Fleet but left the active list in 1934.^[1]

Family

In 1917 he married Irene Catherine Francklin.^[2]

References