LIEUTENANT THOMAS EDMUND ONSLOW CHAMBERLAYNE
ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY
18TH AUGUST 1916 AGE 23
BURIED: DANZIG ALLEY BRITISH CEMETERY, MAMETZ, FRANCE
As an officer in the Royal Field Artillery you would expect a man to be a good horseman, however, Thomas Chamberlayne's mother goes further and describes her son as 'a true horseman', someone who was a naturally good rider with an instinct for horses. And from her use of the term 'gone away', Thomas Chamberlayne must also have been a huntsman. 'Gone away' is the hunting call that signals that the fox has broken cover and the chase has begun. For the hunt, this is when the excitement starts.
Chamberlayne was educated at Winchester College (he is commemorated on their website) and at Merton College, Oxford. He joined up on the outbreak of war, was wounded during the Battle of Loos, September 1915, and killed during the Battle of Delville Wood whilst serving with the 73rd Howitzer Brigade,
A brief obituary in the Times, published on 29 August, quotes from the letter of condolence Chamberlayne's colonel wrote to his parents:
"His charming personality and courage, endeared him to all his comrades, and I, personally, mourn the loss of one of my best officers. I am sure you will always be proud to know that your son died in the execution of his duty, in which he never flinched."