Hubert Conway Rees

Hubert Conway Rees CMG DSO (26 March 1882 - 3 January 1948) was a British Army officer. The only son of a Church of England clergyman, Rees was born in Conway, Carnarvonshire. After an education at Charterhouse School in Surrey Rees joined the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment and served as a subaltern in the Second Boer War. In 1903 he transferred to the regular army, joining the Welsh Regiment as a second lieutenant. By the start of the First World War in 1914 he had risen to captain. Rees fought with his battalion during the Retreat from Mons and the First Battle of the Aisne and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions in assisting a neighbouring battalion in the First Battle of Ypres. Rees was one of the few survivors of his battalion after a 31 October action at Gheluvelt Chateau and assumed command of the unit until January 1915. He afterwards served in Britain at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and as a divisional staff officer.

Rees was appointed to command the 94th Infantry Brigade on 15 June 1916 and led them on the first day on the Somme. He has been praised for recalling two of his battalions after the initial wave failed. Later that year Rees commanded the 11th Infantry Brigade and 13th Reserve Brigade. In 1917 he led the 149th (Northumberland) Brigade in the Battle of Arras. In early 1918 Rees took command of the 150th (York and Durham) Brigade. He led them in a defence against the German spring offensive but the Brigade was over-run during the Third Battle of the Aisne and Rees was captured. Shortly afterwards he was interviewed by the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II. Rees remained a prisoner for the rest of the war. On his return to Britain he commanded the 6th battalion of his regiment and served as a general staff officer before retiring in 1922.