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 and Career
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Commissioned Bacchante on 25 November, 1902 in Chatham[ retaining command for just a month before being superseded by Christopher Cradock on 20 December, on which date he was appointed Captain of Andromeda.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 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.
He was superseded on 17 November 1910.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.