In May 1756 Brodrick was sent out to the Mediterranean in command of reinforcements for Admiral John Byng, whom he joined at Gibraltar just before the admiral was ordered home under arrest. He had meantime been advanced on 4 June to the rank of Rear admiral, in which rank he served under Sir Edward Hawke until towards the close of the year, when the fleet returned home. In January 1757 he was a member of the court-martial on Admiral Byng; and was afterwards, with his flag in , third in command in the expedition against Rochefort. Early in 1758 Brodrick was appointed as second in command in the Mediterranean, with his flag on board the 90-gun HMS "Prince George". On 13 April, being then off Ushant, the "Prince George" caught fire, and out of a complement of nearly 800, some 250 only were saved; the Rear admiral himself was picked up, stark naked, by a merchant-ship's boat, after he had been swimming for about an hour. Brodrick and the survivors of his ship's company were taken by to Gibraltar, where he hoisted his flag in HMS "St George".