Barham, Geoffrey Cornelius Arthur, 1899-1941

Barham, Geoffrey Cornelius Arthur, son of Cornelius Herbert Barham of Chiswick, Middlesex and Edith Mary Alice; b. Dec. 10, 1899; adm. Jan. 15, 1914 (G); left July 1915; served in the ranks of 28th Batt. London Regt. during Great War I; RAF during WW2; m. Mary Ellen; d. 27 May 1941.

Geoffrey Cornelius Arthur Barham was born at Leytonstone, Essex on the 10th of December 1899 the elder son of Cornelius Herbert Barham, a solicitor, and Edith Mary Alice (nee Long) Barham of 39, Forest Drive East, North Leyton in Essex, later of 29, Waldegrave Road, Upper Norwood, London SE19. He was christened at St Catherine’s Church, Leyton on the 14th of January 1900. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from the 15th of January 1914 to July 1915 and on leaving school he worked as a clerk.
He enlisted as Private 128277 in the Royal Flying Corps on the 13th of February 1918 and was posted for pilot training but was discharged on the 3rd of May 1918 as being unsuitable. He enlisted as Private 768243 in the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) on the 5th of June 1918 and served with them until the 8th of February 1919. On the 12th of January 1921 he embarked at London on board the SS Glenapp bound for Yokohama but later returned to enlist in the Royal Air Force.
He enlisted at the RAF Depot, Uxbridge as Aircraftman 2nd Class 351156 in the Royal Air Force on the 31st of January 1922 for a period of eight years with a further four in the Reserve. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet ten and one half inches tall and that he had fair hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.
He worked as a storekeeper throughout his service, serving with No. 5 Flying Training School from the 12th of July 1922 and at an Electrical and Wireless School from the 11th of October 1922. On the 1st of February 1923 he transferred to 11 Squadron, based at Andover and four days later he moved to Y Group. He was posted to 45 Squadron based in Iraq on the 15th of September 1923 and was promoted to Leading Aircraftman on the 31st of December 1923. He was promoted to Corporal on the 31st of December 1927 and joined 208 Squadron on the 25th of October 1928. He was posted to the Seaplane Base Depot at Calshot on the 16th of February 1929.
He was married at Gosport, Hampshire in 1939 to Mary Ellen (nee Travers), a children’s nurse, and they lived at 15, High Street, Gosport.
He was appointed as an Assistant Clerk in the Air Service on the 22nd of December 1939 and later served as a Corporal in the Royal Air Force at No. 9 Recruits Training Centre, Technical Training Command based at Blackpool.
He is buried at St Swithin’s Church, Thorley, Isle of Wight.

Corporal 351156 No. 9 Recruits Training Centre, Technical Training Command, Royal Air Force

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition

Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.

The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1883 to Election 1960, Volume 3, compiled by J.B. Whitmore, G.R.Y. Radcliffe and D.C. Simpson, Barnet, 1963

Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.