British Army officer (1870–1943)
Major General Hugo Douglas de Pree, CB, CMG, DSO (25 December 1870 – 30 March 1943) was a British Army officer who served as Commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Military career
Educated at Eton College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich,[1] de Pree was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 25 July 1890.[2][3] He was promoted to lieutenant on 25 July 1893, and served on the North West Frontier of India in 1897. Promotion to captain followed on 3 February 1900,[4] when he was divisional adjutant at Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich.[5] After the outbreak of the Second Boer War in South Africa, he volunteered for service with the Imperial Yeomanry. He served originally with the 17th Battalion, but was on 3 May 1902 appointed second-in-command of the 7th Battalion, with the temporary rank of major.[6] He relinquished his appointment with the Imperial Yeomanry on 5 September 1902,[7] and returned to the Royal Horse Artillery[8] to be stationed at Secunderabad.[9]
De Pree later served in the First World War.[2] He was appointed Commander of the 13th Indian Infantry Brigade in 1920, General Officer Commanding 55th (West Lancashire) Division in 1925 and Commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1926,[10] before retiring in 1931.[2]
He lived at Beckley in East Sussex where there is a memorial to de Pree at All Saints' Church.[11]
Family
Pree married firstly Diones Thornhill;[11] they had three sons and one daughter. He later married Mary Fisher.[11]
