Notes
Christopher William Barneby, known as Chris, was born in Herefordshire on 19 June 1915, the only son of Verena (née Turner) and William Barneby. He was educated at Harrow School from 1929 to 1934, where he was awarded the watercolour painting prize in 1933.
Chris Barneby entered Worcester College on 14 October 1934. While up at the College he was a member of the Boat Club, rowing with the 3rd Eight in 1935. He achieved 4th class honours in Physics in 1937. Following his graduation he attended the Slade School of Art.
In 1938 Chris Barneby joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force but, following the outbreak of war, he joined an Officer Training Unit for the Royal Artillery and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 21 September 1940. He served with the 96th (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Regiment in West Africa from 1942, and was attached to the 3rd Light Battery, West African Artillery, Royal West African Frontier Force from 1943 as commanding officer of A Troop; the regiment were posted to India for service in Burma [now Myanmar] that same year.
In March 1944 Chris Barneby’s A Troop moved to support the 4th Nigeria Regiment at the village of Sabaseck, near Wanbanhla, Burma. He led a party forward to establish a forward observation post, which was attacked by the Japanese on 18 March. Captain Chris Barneby was killed in the first assault. He was 28 years old.
Chris Barneby is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial, and on the war memorials of St Mary’s Church, Edvin Leach, Herefordshire, Harrow School, and Worcester College, Oxford.