Air Chief Marshal Sir (Henry) Robert Moore Brooke-Popham (18 September, 1878 – 20 October, 1953) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. Most notably, Brooke-Popham was Commander-in-Chief of the British Far East Command when Singapore fell to Japanese troops.

His family name was Brooke, but he added the 'Popham' in 1904 by Royal Warrant in memory of a much admired ancestor. He was educated at Haileybury and Sandhurst, being commissioned in 1898 and shortly afterwards, fighting in the South African War during 1899-1900, serving in the Orange Free State, Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony. Attached to the Air Battalion during the manoeuvres of 1911 he decided to learn to fly, gaining Royal Flying Corps Certificate No 108 in July 1911. He was the first Commandant of both the RAF College at Andover and the Imperial Defence College. From 1933 - 1935, as Air Officer Commanding, Fighting Area, he was in command of the whole air defence of the UK and established a chain of acoustic listening stations around the country well before the introduction of radar. Fortunately his objections to fighters with enclosed cockpits and armed with eight machine guns did not find favour. He retired at his own request in 1937 and for two years held the appointment of Governor of Kenya.

Beginning in 1940, as Commander-in-Chief, British Far East Command, he spent thirteen months desperately trying to build up the defences of the region. Unfortunately for him, the decisions affecting the defence of Singapore had been taken long before his appointment and with the resources available there was little he could do to stop the Japanese advance in December 1941. From 1944 until 1946 he was President of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) Council.

Career History

• 1898 - Commissioned, Oxfordshire Light Infantry.
• 1898 to 1912 - Service with Oxfordshire Light Infantry
  • 1911 - Gained the 108th Pilot's Licence issued in Britain
• 1912 to 1918 - Service in the Royal Flying Corps
  • 1915 - Commander, 3 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, Netheravon
  • 1915 Second in Command to Major General Sir David Henderson, Commander, Royal Flying Corps, France
• 1919 to 1921 - Director of Research, Air Ministry
• 1921-1926 Commandant, RAF Staff College
• 1926-1928 Air Officer Commanding Fighting Area Air Defence, Great Britain
• 1928-1930 Air Officer Commanding British Forces, Iraq
• 1931-1933 Commandant, Imperial Defence College
• 1933-1935 Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Defence, Great Britain
• 1935 Inspector General
• 1935-1937 Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Middle East
• 1937 retired
• 1937-1940 Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Kenya
• 1939 re-employed, Royal Air Force
• 1939-1940 Chairman, War Experiences Committee
• 1939-1945 World War II
  • 1940-1941 Commander-in-Chief British Far East Command
  • 1942 retired
  • 1943-1946 President, Council of Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes

Reference

• Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Chf Mshl Brooke-Popham

1878 births | 1953 deaths | Knights Bachelor | British World War II people | Military of Singapore under British rule | Royal Air Force air marshals