Family :

Education & Career :

Gresham's School, Holt, Norfolk (along with 3 brothers).

His first mention in Grehsm's archives is when he is reported as coming in 7th in the paperchase, finishing within ten minutes of the hares.

By 1901 Baron was playing rugby for his house and the School, his good work as half-back being noted, and was duly awarded colours. In 1902 he played cricket for
the School against a Suffield Park team, and in 1904 won a prize for French. Success in gymnastics followed, when he was awarded the Meryon medal in 1905 for his performance the previous year, when he did ‘very creditably, being particularly good on the horizontal bar, obtaining 44 marks out of a possible 45’, being the highest scorer overall.

Baron left Gresham’s in July 1904, and is registered as lodging in Uxbridge with his brother Edgar in a house owned by his father in 1911.

From the magazine report of his death we learn that he spent some years in Nigeria serving on the staff of the British Bank of West Africa, and that when war broke out he was in Cyprus where he held a good position with the Colonial Government.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

No Data has been recorded for the final action, because none has yet been found. If you have any information to offer, please contact the Project Team so we can add.

Detail :

2/Lt Baron Brook-Booth was listed as missing on 16th September 1916. The Battalion War Diary was written by his brother Septimus who was a Lieutenant in the 7th Northumberland Fusiliers. One can only imagine his feelings as he reported his brother missing, knowing what 'missing' really meant. The 50th Division History, largely compiled from battalion war diaries, tells of the attack in which Baron Brooke-Booth was reported missing: The preliminary bombardment began on the 12th of September. For three days it never ceased, and the roar of the guns was continuous. From 6 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. the 4.5-inch howitzers pounded the enemy's defences, creating havoc in his trenches, blowing his parapets to bits and tearing great gaps in his wire. All through the nights the 18-pounders fired shrapnel for the purpose of causing as many casualties as possible among the enemy's working parties who, when darkness had fallen, would set to work to repair the damage done throughout the day by the howitzers. The latter guns at night fired P.S. gas shell. Thus day by day, the unfortunate Bosche was forced to endure a merciless bombardment which often left him dazed and dumb by the time darkness had fallen. 12th SEPTEMBER, 1916. Note by Major F. B. Cowan MC. We were told that there would be a demonstration of the new tanks at Albert, but as we thought that this had something to do with the water supply we did not bother to go! At 6.10 a.m. there was a buzz of excitement in the front line. With a whir-r-ing sound two tanks were seen approaching in rear of the left of the 149th Brigade, and at 6.18 these gigantic monsters reached, and lifted themselves over, the assembly trenches of the 7th Northumberland Fusiliers and started off across No Mans Land towards the enemy's trenches. The German soldiery had received warning of the use of these tanks; nevertheless, when the latter appeared they produced terror and consternation. S.O.S. signals went up from the enemy's front line, and numbers of his troops bolted from their trenches back towards their second line. Four minutes later the hostile barrage fell but, as the 7th Northumberland Fusiliers record, our men got away before a heavy fire was opened on them. At 6.20 a.m. the Divisional barrage fell, and the 4th and 7th Northumberland Fusiliers of the 149th Brigade, and the 4th East Yorkshires, 4th and 5th Green Howards of the 150th Brigade, advanced in good order close up to the screen of fire and quickly gained the first objective, i.e., Hook Trench. At this stage the Divisional narrative states: at once it became clear that the 47th Division would fail to get High Wood alone! On the high ground at the north-western corner of High Wood the enemy had a very strongly-defended position, part of his defence system which commanded the whole of the ground held by the 50th Division. (It was part of the German Switch Line which the enemy had begun during the first week in July) This strong point had been repeatedly attacked before the Division took over the line, but without success. It was known to contain large numbers of machine-guns. No sooner had the 149th Brigade begun to dig in on the line of the first objective than galling machine-gun and rifle fire was opened on the 4th and 7th Northumberland Fusiliers. The advance to the second objective was timed to begin at 7.20 a.m., and until that hour battalions made every effort to take shelter from the devastating fire coming from their right. It was apparent that the 47th Division, on the right, had not taken High Wood, and that the left brigade of that division was held up. All the more urgent, therefore, was it for the 149th Brigade to push on and outflank the enemy in the Wood, thus compelling him to evacuate his position. At zero plus one hour, i.e., 7.20 a.m., the 149th and 150th Brigades advanced and captured the second objective, consisting of the Starfish Line, The Bow and Martin Trench. But from both flanks the enemy's fire caused very heavy casualties amongst the attacking troops. The 4th Northumberland Fusiliers of the 149th Brigade, unsupported on their right by the 47th Division, were driven back to Hook Trench which, with Bethel Sap, was strengthened and made secure. Both the 5th and 6th Northumberland Fusiliers were by now involved in the battle. On the left, the 150th Brigade had experienced similar opposition from Martinpuich, very heavy fire coming from the ruins of the village as the three attacking battalions advanced. Nevertheless, by 6.42 a.m. the East Yorkshires reported the first objective taken, and by 7.58 a.m. B and D Companies of that battalion report, Second objective reached and taken with very few casualties. The 7th Northumberland Fusiliers, on the right of the east Yorkshires, however, had not advanced in line with the latter and, although Martin Alley and Martin Trench were in the hands of the 150th Brigade, no further advance could take place to the Starfish Line until the 149th Brigade had advanced. The 7th Northumberland Fusiliers give very logical reasons why they were held up. Hook Trench lay along the top of a ridge, while the second and third objectives were in a valley beyond and nothing could be seen of them from the assembly trenches. The Battalion was therefore marching on compass bearings. Touch had been lost with the east Yorkshires between the first and second objectives, and when near the second objective our lines had to halt as our barrage was holding them up. . . . Several attempts were made to get forward, but we lost so heavily from our own barrage that the remainder of the battalion was forced to wait until it lifted. We should have reached our second objective at 7.25 a.m., but it was 8.35 a.m. before we could move forward. There was another difficulty---- a very real one---- not mentioned in the Battalion Diary. the ground was dry and had already been pulverised by previous bombardments. So that now the Northumberland Fusiliers found themselves fronted by clouds of dust and smoke, which hung in a pall-like fog over the battlefield. Eventually (by 8.30 a.m.) the 7th reached the sunken road just south of The Bow, where they captured about thirty men of a minnenwerfer battery and killed several others besides taking four trench mortars. The Divisional narrative concludes with the following remarks: Both Brigades lost very heavily and became considerably disorganised, especially the 149th Brigade. However, by their splendid dash and gallantry they enabled High Wood and Martinpuich to be subsequently occupied by the flank divisions. The 47th Division on our right, lost very heavily in front of High Wood before the enemy finally surrendered, but the 15th Division occupied Martinpuich without difficulty, thanks to the co-operation of the 50th Division.

Masonic :

Joining member of St. Georges Lodge, Nicosia, Cyprus on 11th February 1914 aged 26 and recorded as being in Government Service. The preceding Lodge is noted only as 644, which may mean he was initiated under a different constitution.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Web Link : www.greatwarbritishofficers.com