Cecil Berkeley French was born in Surbiton in 1887, the second son of William French, a stock jobber agent, and Clara Henrietta French of "Springfield", Cranford, Middlesex.

He enlisted in August 1914 and embarked for France on the 31st of July 1915. He was badly wounded in action on the 4th of February 1916; he died 4 days later of his wounds.