Old Berkeley Beagles

A brief history of the OBB

 

In 1919, a Major H. Ellershaw started a pack of hounds that became known as The RAF Uxbridge Beagles, so called because they were homed at the RAF base in Uxbridge and hunted by RAF personnel. Subsequently, the hounds were hunted by Flight Lietenant H C Pyper, a veteran of the First World War who had lost an arm in combat. Flight Lieutenant Pyper can be seen in the picture to the right.

 

In 1923, the hounds were sold to Mr. Robert Wigram of Penn, just outside High Wycombe and then in 1926, when Mr. Wigram decided to retire, the pack became a subscription pack and changed its name to The Old Berkeley Beagles. The name was chosen to reflect the fact that the beagles hunted the same country as the Old Berkeley foxhounds. To this day, The OBB uniform has a Berkeley yellow collar.