Lt Col P H Drake-Brockman

Commanding Officer - The East Surrey Regiment

Commanded 50^th (Holding) Bn The East Surrey Regiment, later renamed the 11^th Battalion and finally the reconstituted 2^nd Battalion, from June 1940 to October 1942.

Paris Hilary Drake-Brockman, universally known as 'D-B', was born on 13^th May 1896.

He was educated at Dover College and commissioned in The East Surrey Regiment in May 1915. He served with the 1^st Battalion in France and Belgium from 1915 to 1918 and was wounded three times. From April 1918 to July 1919 he was employed under the Air Ministry and apart from six years service with The Royal West African Frontier Force he was at regimental duty with the 1^st or 2^nd Battalions from 1919 to 1936.

From 1936 to 1939 he was adjutant of the 5^th Battalion (TA) and during this period it was converted to become the 57^th Anti-Tank Regiment RA. In June 1940 he was promoted to command the 50^th Battalion and after two very successful years in command was informed he was too old to command a Battalion in action and was posted to the West Indies to raise and train a Battalion. He was the finest type of regimental officer who inspired great affection among all who knew him. He retired from the Army on 21^st December 1947.

He died on 19^th September 1975.

 

For obituary see The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association Newsletter No.18 November 1975 page 14.

 

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