Captain Thomas "Tea Cake" Kenneth Barnsley, Coldstream Guards

Thomas Kenneth "Tea Cake" Barnsley (1891 - August 1, 1917) was a friend of J.R.R. Tolkien at King Edward's School in Birmingham. Barnsley was in the Debating Society with Tolkien and he also performed in The Rivals. He was also a member of the T.C.B.S., though not within the inner circle of friends Tolkein as Secretary of the Debating Society, wrote of Thomas in the Chronicle of June 1911: “A loyal upholder of the Society who has never failed to display his unusual fluency (as distinct from argument) and remarkable talent for personalities of amiable virulence. Has never condescended to attempt to ingratiate himself with the Secretary.” Thomas was also in the shooting team and Officer Training Corps. While reading History at Cambridge he decided to join the 1st Birmingham Battalion, and serve in the war. After rising to the rank of Captain, in August 1916 he was buried alive by a trench mortar,on the Somme in August 1916 though he managed to escape and return to England. After being sent to Belgium in July of 1917 he was killed in action near Ypres while consoling a captured prisoner. Barnsley would be one of many of Tolkien's friends that died in the war,commemorated in Canada Farm Cemetery Belgium http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Thomas_Kenneth_Barnsley

Reference: CWGCCASUALIWM

Title: Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Casualty Records

Description: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) commemorate First World War servicemen and women and members of some civilian organisations who died before 31 August 1921 while in Commonwealth military service or of causes attributable to service.