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Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet

1914 – 2003

Royal Navy officer

Submariner
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About Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet

Lived 1914 – 2003 (aged 89). Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet was a submariner.

Commodore Sir Thomas Erasmus Barlow, 3rd Baronet, (23 January 1914 – 12 October 2003) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Biography Barlow was the eldest son of Sir Alan Barlow, 2nd Bt, and his wife Nora Darwin. His younger brother was the visual neuroscientist Horace Barlow. His maternal grandfather was Horace Darwin, and amongst his great-grandfathers were the naturalist Charles Darwin, the statistician and civil servant Thomas Farrer, 1st Baron Farrer, and the royal physician Sir Thomas Barlow.

After being educated at Winchester College, Barlow entered the Royal Navy in 1932 as a Cadet. He qualified on submarines in 1937 and during the Second World War served aboard submarines in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Far East. His commands were:

(13 Aug 1941 – 10 Jan 1942) (11 Jan 1942 – 7 Dec 1942) (20 Aug 1943 – 30 Nov 1943) (15 Mar 1944 – Oct 1945)

In 1945 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He was promoted to commander in 1950 and captain in 1954, and was commodore of HMNB Devonport between 1962 and his retirement in 1964.

He married Isabel Body (1915–2005), daughter of the medical doctor Thomas Munn Body, on 9 July 1955 and they had four children:

Sir James Alan Barlow, 4th Baronet (born 10 July 1956) Dr. Monica Anne Barlow (born 7 March 1958) Philip Thomas Barlow (born 31 December 1960) Teresa Mary Barlow (born 6 October 1963)

Barlow succeeded to the title of 3rd Baronet Barlow, of Wimpole Street, London on 28 February 1968, after the death of his father. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 1976.

Barlow was also a conservationist and was a trustee of the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

Barlow was also a trustee for over 20 years of the Barlow Collection of Oriental art collected by his father. In 1997 Sir Thomas, along with his brother Erasmus Barlow were both awarded honorary Doctors of Letters degrees by the University of Sussex, who were bequeathed the Barlow Collection in 1968 on the death of Sir Alan

Ancestry

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Submariner
Education
Winchester College
Awards
Distinguished Service Cross; Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
Also known as
Sir Thomas Erasmus Barlow, 3rd Bt.

People in Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet?

Royal Navy officer (1914–2003)

When was Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet born?

Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet was born on 23 January 1914.

When did Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet die?

Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet died on 12 October 2003.

What was Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet's occupation?

Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet was a submariner.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet

· Wikidata: Q7529039

· DBpedia: Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet. https://biography.guide/sir-thomas-barlow-3rd-baronet/

MLA: "Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sir-thomas-barlow-3rd-baronet/.

Chicago: "Sir Thomas Barlow, 3rd Baronet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sir-thomas-barlow-3rd-baronet/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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