Patrick Brind

Admiral Sir Eric James Patrick Brind GBE KCB (1892–1963) was the first Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe.

Naval career
Brind served in World War I on the Gunboat HMS Excellent followed by HMS Malaya and finally on the monitor HMS Sir John Moore.

After the War he was Captain of HMS Orion and then of HMS Birmingham.

He also served in World War II as Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet from 1940 to 1942 when he became Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff. He was made Commander of cruisers in the British Pacific Fleet in 1945.

He became President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1946 and then Commander-in-Chief for the Far East Station in 1949. It was under Brind's command as C-in-C Far East station that HMS Amethyst sailed up the Yangtze River and was stranded there for six weeks.

He was made Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Northern Europe in 1951; he retired in 1953.

Honours and awards

 * 11 June 1946 - Vice Admiral Eric James Patrick Brind CB CBE is appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for distinguished services during the war in the Far East.


 * 3 December 1946 - Vice Admiral Sir Eric James Patrick Brind KCB CBE is awarded Legion of Merit, officer degree for services whilst in command of units of the British Pacific Fleet attached to the United States Pacific Fleet during operations against the enemy from 15 March to 14 March 1945.


 * 1 January 1951 - Admiral Sir Eric James Patrick Brind KCB CBE is promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire.