Born in west London in 1927, Richard Brooke went to Dartmouth Naval College from the age of 13 before joining the Royal Navy. He participated on the crew of several naval ships during World War 2, before later joining the survey ship HMS Scott. From here, encouraged by his ships commander, he joined the British North Greenland Expedition as a surveyor. The expedition lasted from 1952 to 1954 and undertook pioneering research in the fields of meteorology, geology, seismology, physiology and the logistics of polar exploration.

After the expedition Brooke would remain in the Royal Navy until 1966. During this time he was able to engage in several more expeditions, a highlight amongst them being the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955 - 1958, which was led by Brooke's former naval commander Vivian Fuchs and involved a New Zealand support team lead by Sir Edmund Hillary of which Brookes was a member. In recognition of work, which included leading a survey team, the highest mountain in the Prince Albert range was named Mount Brooke. After leaving the Navy Brooke worked for the Electricity Council in the Birmingham and Bristol areas and continued his passion for mountain treks. He died in June 2020.