Lieut James Frederick Wilkinson Berry

• Age: 21
• From: Pendleton, Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• Died Friday 22nd November 1918
• Commemorated at: Terlincthun Brit Cem Wilmille
  Panel Ref: XI.D.4

James Frederick Wilkinson Berry was born at Pendleton on 21st January 1897. He was the only son of printer, George Frederic Berry and his wife Helen (nee Wilkinson) of Swinton. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Enellan, Portland Road, off Manchester Road, Swinton, Manchester. His father George Frederic is aged 43, born in Manchester in 1858 he is a letterpress printer’s clerk, whilst his mother, Helen, is aged 38, born 1863 in Pendleton and has no occupation listed. They have three children at the time of the Census who were all born in Pendleton, Dorothy aged 10, born 1891, Helen aged 8, born 1893 and James Fredrick Wilkinson aged 4 born 1897. They also have two servants living at the address Ruth Wright aged 21, born 1880 in Middlesborough and she is a domestic cook and Margaret Clarke aged 25, born 1876 in Leeds and she is a domestic nurse. 

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at Enellan, Portland Road Off Manchester Road, Swinton, Manchester. His father George Frederic is aged 53 and is a commercial clerk and his mother, Helen, is aged 48 and has no occupation listed. They have been married for twenty four years and have three children. At the time of the Census they only have their son James Fredrick Wilkinson, a 14 year old schoolboy. They have two servants living at the address Hannah Goodman aged 32, born 1879 in Sedgeley, Staffordshire and she is a domestic cook and Rose Andrews aged 17, born 1894 in Earlestown, Lancashire and she is a domestic housemaid. 

James attended Manchester Grammar School from 1911 -1914 and whilst at the school he joined the Officer Training Corps.

In 1914 he began studying photography and printing at Manchester University. Again he joined the OTC. In November 1915 he received a commission as Lieutenant and in June 1916 he arrived in France. 

He joined the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment at Montauban on 03rd July 1916, just after the start of the Battle of the Somme and was severely wounded in the right thigh less than a month later, on 30th July during te attack on the village of Guillemont. After treatment at the nearest Field Ambulance and No. 5 Casualty Clearing Station, he was evacuated to England on 8th August on board the Hospital Ship ‘Marama’. This ship brought back most of the ‘Blighty’ wounded from the fighting at Guillemont.

His wounds were so severe, that it took him two years to regain full fitness, and he only returned to the front in August 1918, then being attached to 1st/5th Battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regiment. However he had not long been back in France, when he fell victim to the influenza epidemic which was sweeping across Europe. He was evacuated to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux, but the influenza led to pneumonia, and he died on 22nd November 1918, eleven days after the Armistice. He was aged twenty one. 

He now rests at Terlincthun British Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE".

The first rest camps for Commonwealth forces were established near Terlincthun in August 1914 and during the whole of the First World War, Boulogne and Wimereux housed numerous hospitals and other medical establishments.

The cemetery at Terlincthun was begun in June 1918 when the space available for service burials in the civil cemeteries of Boulogne and Wimereux was exhausted. It was used chiefly for burials from the base hospitals, but Plot IV Row C contains the graves of 46 RAF personnel killed at Marquise in September 1918 in a bombing raid by German aircraft.

In July 1920, the cemetery contained more than 3,300 burials, but for many years Terlincthun remained an 'open' cemetery and graves continued to be brought into it from isolated sites and other burials grounds throughout France where maintenance could not be assured.

During the Second World War, there was heavy fighting in the area in 1940. Wimille was devastated when, from 22 - 25 May, the garrison at Boulogne fought a spirited delaying action covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. There was some fighting in Wimille again in 1944. The cemetery suffered considerable damage both from the shelling in 1940 and during the German occupation.

The cemetery now contains 4,378 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and more than 200 war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. Second World War burials number 149.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His death was reported in the local press:

Lieut. J.W.F.Berry

The death took place on November 22nd, at the 14th General hospital, Wimereux, France, from pneumonia, following influenza, of Lieutenant J .F. Wilkinson Berry (Eric), 17th King's Liverpool Regiment, attached to the 1/5th Battalion. He was the only son of Mr and Mrs G. F. Berry, "Innellan", Portland Road, Swinton, and grandson of the late Alderman J.F. Wilkinson J.P., a former Mayor of Eccles. Lieutenant Berry was educated at the Manchester Grammar School and matriculated at Manchester University, almost at the same time war broke out. He obtained his commission in November 1915, after a years training with Manchester University OTC. In June of the following year he went to France, and had only been there 5 weeks when he was severely wounded at Guillemont (July 31st). He was in hospital for a long time before he recovered sufficiently to take up his military duties again, and only returned to France last August. He was 21 years of age. He was for three years and member of the Manchester Grammar School OTC.

Soldiers Effects to his father George Frederic.

Probate was granted on 16th May 1919 with effects of £363 7s 5d paid to his father.

James is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Manchester Grammar School 

Manchester University

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