The son of an Indian Army officer, Brooking was educated at
Wellington College and the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the
South Wales Borderers in 1884, before transferring to the Indian Army the following year. In January 1911 he was promoted to colonel. and in October took over the position of GSO1 of the 5th Indian Division from Colonel
Arthur Lowry Cole. In January 1914 he was made a CB in the
1914 New Year Honours. During the
First World War, which began in the summer of 1914, he commanded the
12th Indian Brigade from 20 September 1915 to 7 May 1916 and the
15th Indian Division from 7 May 1916. == References ==