Sir Arthur Richard Holbrook
(1850-1946), Colonel and newspaper proprietorSitter in 4 portraits
by Bassano Ltd
half-plate film negative, 1 April 1940
NPG x177514
by Bassano Ltd
half-plate film negative, 1 April 1940
NPG x177515
by Bassano Ltd
half-plate film negative, 1 April 1940
NPG x177516
by Bassano Ltd
half-plate film negative, 1 April 1940
NPG x177517
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David Denison
28 August 2016, 15:49
Col Sir Arthur R. Holbrook KBE,VD,DL,JP
Born 1850 Died 1946
. Gazetted 24th June 1893 as Honary Rank of Colonel, 3rd (Duke of Connaught's Own) Volunteer Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
In 1920 the Unionists selected 70-year-old Sir Arthur Holbrook as their candidate to defend the seat of Basingstoke.
He was a Newspaper proprietor; owner of Holbrooks Printers and the "Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette" (1850) and upon acquiring [in 1884]the "The Evening Mail" became the "Southern Daily Mail"; Fellow of the Institute of Journalists; President Newspaper Society, 1913–14; Chairman Portsmouth Conservative Association, 1885–98; President Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, 1907–12; Commanded Royal Army Service Corps, Salisbury Plain District, 1914–19.[2]
· KBE in 1918 New Year's Honours list [along with 63 others! for 1914-1918 War work]
· MP for Basingstoke 1920
· Had six sons one of whom, Lt. Norman Holbrook RN, then aged 26, was awarded the first RN VC
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Colonel Sir Arthur R. Holbrook, head of "the fighting Holbrooks," celebrated his 90th birthday the other clay. I rang up his house on Kingston Hill, writes a representative of the "Daily Mail," London. [1940]
"I'm sorry," was the answer, "but Sir Arthur has finished his party here. He has gone on to another one now." So I found this two-party-a-day man at the house of his daughter, Mrs. F. W. Butler. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said when lie came to the telephone, "but I've just been blowing out 90 candles and cutting my birthday cake." It was difficult to believe that the hearty voice at the other end of the line belonged to a man born in 1850.
All Sir Arthur's six sons and ten grandsons are with the services. The sons, who also served in the last war, include a V.C. and a D.S.O. Sir Arthur joined the army at the age of ten. By War Office permission he was attested a drummer boy in the 5th Hampshire Rifle Volunteers. He was 64 in 1914. but by giving his age as 49 he re-joined and served throughout the last war.
Colonel Arthur E. Holbrook. D.S.O., the eldest son, was in the South African War as well as the last war. His two sons and two stepsons are serving officers. Sir Arthur's second son, Rear Admiral Leonard Holbrook, was flag commander of the George V. in the Battle of Jutland. Now he is back at the Admiralty. The third son. Sir Claude Holbrook, has an Army Command. One of his sons is in the Army and the other in Navy. The fourth son is Commander Norman Holbrook. V.C., whose submarine dived under five minefields and torpedoed a Turkish battleship in the Dardanelles. He also is back at the Admiralty. Colonel Alec Holbrook is the fifth son, and the youngest. Major Neville Holbrook, is a gunnery instructor."
End of Daily Mail article June 1940. Sir Arthur died in 1946 aged 96
Tim (TRH) Dawson
14 July 2022, 23:39
Col AE Holbrook DSO did not have any stepsons. I think this should read 'sons-in-law' (one of whom was my father). I appreciate that the error arises from an article in the Daily Mail of 1940, and I doubt if they'll publish a correction!