Hugo De Pree
Encyclopedia
Major-General Hugo Douglas De Pree CB
CMG
DSO
(25 December 1870 - 30 March 1943) was a British Army
officer who became Commandant
of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, De Pree was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
in 1890. He served on the North West Frontier
of India
in 1897 and fought in the Second Boer War
as well as World War I
. He was appointed Commander of the 13th Indian Infantry Brigade
in 1920, General Officer Commanding
55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division in 1925 and Commandant
of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1926 before retiring in 1931.
There is a memorial to him at All Saints Church in Beckley
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(25 December 1870 - 30 March 1943) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who became Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Military career
Educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, De Pree was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1890. He served on the North West Frontier
North-West Frontier (military history)
The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1897 and fought in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
as well as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was appointed Commander of the 13th Indian Infantry Brigade
13th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 13th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in October 1940, at Campbellpore and assigned to the 7th Indian Infantry Division. It was transferred to the 1st Burma Division in July 1941, and after the withdrawal to India...
in 1920, General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division in 1925 and Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1926 before retiring in 1931.
There is a memorial to him at All Saints Church in Beckley
Beckley, East Sussex
Beckley is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is located on the B2088 minor road above the Rother Levels five miles northwest of Rye and ten miles from Hastings. The northern border follows the river Rother.-History:Beckley was part of the Wealden iron...
.