Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Basil Richard Brooke DSO &

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

(28 November 1882 – 8 October 1929) was a Royal Navy officer. Brooke was the son of John Townshend Brooke of

Haughton Hall Haughton Hall is an early 18th-century country house situated at Haughton Lane, Shifnal, Shropshire, England now converted for use as a hotel. It is a Grade II* listed building. The de Haughton family owned land at Haughton under the Lord of t ...

, Shifnal, Shropshire, and his wife Lady Wilhelmina, daughter of William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth. He was educated at Arnold House,

Llanddulas Llanddulas is a village in Conwy county borough, Wales, midway between Old Colwyn and Abergele and next to the North Wales Expressway in the community of Llanddulas and Rhyd-y-Foel. The village lies beneath the limestone hill of Cefn-yr-Og ...

, and entered HMS ''Britannia'' as a naval cadet in 1898. He was promoted

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

later the same year, commissioned

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

in November 1901, and promoted lieutenant in December 1903 and lieutenant commander in 1911. Brooke served throughout the First World War in the Mine Clearance Force, being promoted

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in 1916 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in July 1917 and a

in January 1920. He was also appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in September 1916. Both his brothers were killed in the war while serving in the British Army. Brooke retired in July 1922, and was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on the retired list in November 1927. In 1923 he married Katherine Cross, granddaughter of the politician

R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross Richard Assheton Cross, 1st Viscount Cross, (30 May 1823 – 8 January 1914), known before his elevation to the peerage as R. A. Cross, was a British statesman and Conservative politician. He notably served as Home Secretary between 1874 and 1 ...

. He retired to Ambleside, Lancashire.

Honours and awards

*1 January 1916 Lieutenant-Commander Basil Richard Brooke was commended in recognition for their bravery and duty during mine-sweeping and mine-laying operations. *15 September 1916 Lieutenant-Commander Basil Richard Brooke was appointed a Croix de Chavalier by the President of the French Republic in recognition of services during the war. *2 July 1917 Captain Basil Richard Brooke, RN, was appointed a Companion to the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his service in mine-sweeping operations between 1 July 1916 and 31 March 1917. *22 January 1920 Captain Basil Richard Brooke, DSO, RN, was awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order for service in the mine clearance force.

Footnotes

References

*Obituary, '' The Times'', 9 October 1929 *Biography, '' Who Was Who'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Brooke, Basil 1882 births 1929 deaths Knights of the Legion of Honour Companions of the Distinguished Service Order People from Shifnal Royal Navy officers Royal Navy officers of World War I