Frederic Edward Errington Brock

Admiral Sir Frederic E. E. Brock.
Photography: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral SIR Frederic Edward Errington Brock, G.B.E., K.C.M.G., C.B. (15 October, 1854 – 1 November, 1929) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Brock was born in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire.

Brock was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with seniority of 8 December, 1879.

Brock was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1893.

On 12 December, 1895, Brock was appointed to the new battleship Magnificent. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1898.

In December 1899, he commissioned the new second class protected cruiser Highflyer.

He was appointed in command of the second class battleship Camperdown on 24 September, 1902.

Commissioned Bacchante on 25 November, 1902 in Chatham retaining command for just a month before being superseded by Christopher Cradock on 20 December, on which date he was appointed Captain of Andromeda.

On 21 July, 1903, he was placed in command of the first class protected cruiser Diadem for manœuvres. In November 1903, he commissioned the new armoured cruiser Donegal.

He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to King George V on 13 February, 1907, vice Startin.

Flag Rank

Brock (right) and Rear-Admiral T. H. Martyn Jerram leaving Buckingham Palace after being invested with the insignia of Companions of the Order of the Bath on 10 October, 1912.
Photo: Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Brock was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 22 March, 1908, vice Foote. In December he was appointed President of a committee on naval detention barracks, for which appreciation was expressed of the "able manner in which Committee performed its task." On 20 October, 1909, he was appointed to the Admiralty on committee pay and allowances to work with the Department of Works in regard to plans of detention barracks. He relieved Rear-Admiral Paul Bush as Rear-Admiral Commanding the Portsmouth Division, Home Fleet on 17 November.

Brock imposed a tight discipline in the Division, but he was not beyond being manipulated. A Lieutenant in his flagship, Jupiter, received blessing to bring his spaniel along after seeing to it that the playful dog enjoyed some fraternity with Brock, who apparently harboured a weakness for dogs, on a social event ashore.

Brock was superseded on 17 November, 1910. On the same day he was appointed to the Admiralty on committee pay and allowances to superintend the introduction of the detention barracks system at the three Home Ports (Royal Navy). His appointment was originally intended to last until 28 February, 1911, then extended until 30 July, and finally until 28 February, 1912.

Brock was appointed Chairman of a committee on disciplinary matters and the system of summary punishments. When assembling a list of officers to be given a civil C.B. the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, noted that, "Admiral Brock should certainly be included." Accordingly he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 21 September. On 20 September he was appointed Senior Officer and in Charge of All Naval Establishments at Gibraltar. He was invested with the insignia of the order by the King in an investiture at Buckingham Palace on 10 October, and assumed command at Gibraltar on 21 October.

On 15 May, 1913, he was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, vice Fisher.

Great War

He was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (K.C.M.G.) on 1 January, 1916. He was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands on 20 January, in succession to Colville. The Rear-Admiral in the Fourth Battle Squadron, Alexander Duff, having to deal with Brock in connection with paravanes, described him as "a difficult man to do business with." He was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 2 April, 1917, vice Callaghan.

Brock was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 25 August, 1918.

Post-War

On 3 July, 1926, Brock was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (G.B.E.) dated 5 June.

Bibliography

• "Sir Frederic Brock" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 4 November, 1929. Issue 45351, col B, p. 14.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/87.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/38.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/19.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Paul W. Bush	Rear-Admiral, Portsmouth Division, Home Fleet 1909 – 1910	Succeeded by Arthur H. Limpus

Naval Appointments
Preceded by William C. C. Forsyth	Captain of H.M.S. Rainbow 11 Jul, 1899 – 24 Aug, 1899	Succeeded by Colin R. Keppel
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Highflyer 7 Dec, 1899 – 17 Aug, 1902	Succeeded by Arthur H. Christian
Preceded by Herbert A. W. Onslow	Captain of H.M.S. Camperdown 24 Sep, 1902 – 7 Nov, 1902	Succeeded by Frederick O. Pike
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Bacchante 25 Nov, 1902 – 19 Dec, 1902	Succeeded by Christopher G. F. M. Cradock
Preceded by Christopher G. F. M. Cradock	Captain of H.M.S. Andromeda 20 Dec, 1902 – 10 Feb, 1903	Succeeded by Robert N. Ommanney
Preceded by Henry Leah	Captain of H.M.S. Diadem 21 Jul, 1903 – 8 Sep, 1903	Succeeded by Frederick St. G. Rich
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Donegal 5 Nov, 1903 – 21 May, 1905	Succeeded by Arthur T. Stuart
Preceded by Arthur T. Stuart	Captain of H.M.S. Triumph 22 May, 1905 – 4 Dec, 1906	Succeeded by Richard B. Farquhar
Preceded by William B. Fisher	Commodore-in-Command, Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport 8 Jan, 1907 – 22 Apr, 1908	Succeeded by Arthur Y. Moggridge
Preceded by Frederick S. Pelham	Senior Officer, Gibraltar 20 Sep, 1912 – 2 Nov, 1915	Succeeded by Bernard Currey as Senior Naval Officer and in charge of all Naval Establishments, Gibraltar
Preceded by The Hon. Sir Stanley C. J. Colville	Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands 20 Jan, 1916 – 11 Mar, 1918	Succeeded by Sir Herbert E. King-Hall