Tricia Capt

Mr Barham has also organised a family pilgrimage to Capt Barham’s grave in Belgium for a service on Saturday.

After being brought up at Hole Park, Capt Barham had gone to Clare College, Cambridge, to read engineering in 1913.

With the situation in Europe deteriorating, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Buffs, in July, 1914.

“No one thought it was going to be a big war,” said Mr Barham. “He thought he would do the summer with the army, then go back to his studies at Cambridge as a reserve officer, but he was in it for real.”

After basic training, Capt Barham went to France in December, 1914, where his battalion was based at Armentieres.

“There was not a great deal of action and there were moments of humour to break up the mud, lack of sanitation and repetitive food,” said Mr Barham.

“But at the beginning of January, 1915, they were told they were going to Ypres and marched off.

“They found a very different account of warfare which was more active, aggressive and hazardous for all concerned. The trenches were so close to the Germans – it was totally different to the peaceful circumstances that Wilfrid had been enjoying. “They were defending Ypres and were surrounded on three sides by Germans. It made life very dangerous.”

Capt Barham spent two weeks in the trenches and one week out on rotation.

“There was a huge amount of activity and frequent gas attacks,” said Mr Barham. “It was hell for Wilfrid. He was worried and said he did not want to ‘funk it’.

“When they first came to the line there was a day from hell and he says in his diary, ‘If I can get through that I can get through anything’.

“There were men in a terrible state who he describes as gibbering and shaking. He had to tell them to get out of the trenches and do what they were meant to do.”

Capt Barham was allowed leave and twice in 1915, in June and September, he returned home to Hole Park.

“He was wound up by what he had seen and could not relax,” said Mr Barham. “In pictures he looks terribly drawn.”

Capt Barham received battle honours for taking part in the Battle of Hooge in August, 1915.

His battalion was heavily involved in securing key high ground, but lost a lot of men in doing so.

There were frequent parcels of Hole Park-grown vegetables

‘He thought he would do the summer with the army, then go back to his studies at Cambridge’