Today (May 20) is the 100th anniversary of the death of Worcestershire CCC cricketer Lt. Col. Thomas Mowbray Martin Berkeley, 56, Black Watch Royal Highlanders.
He was killed in action by a bursting shell at The Somme, Northern France in 1916.
Thomas is buried in Grave 82 at Warloy-Baillon Community Cemetry, a few miles from Thiepval and Contalmaison.
He was one of 12 children of Robert and Lady Mary Caroline Berkeley of Spetchley Park, east of Worcester.
Thomas attended Beaumont College and Sandhurst, and fought in Egypt and The Boer War.
He played for Worcestershire CCC for several seasons before they acquired first class status, as did three more of the Berkeley boys, (RVB 1876-91, MHB 1876-89, TMMB 1884-91, and OB 1887).
His younger brother, Father Oswald Berkeley, a Benedictine Monk at Downside Abbey, volunteered as an Army Chaplain 1915-18, aged over 50, won the MC in France, and was mentioned in dispatches.
RV Berkeley’s son, RGW Berkeley played for WCCC in 1919 and 1922, and was a leading player for The Gentlemen of Worcestershire, organising several of that club’s foreign tours.
For more details, see pages 161 and 219 of 'Pears 150' by Andrew Thomas, on sale for £28 from the Worcestershire Supporters' Association Shop at New Road on match days.
