List of cricketers who were killed during military service
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This is a list of cricketers who were killed during military service. The cricketers are listed by war and divided into those who appeared in Test cricket and those who only played first-class cricket.
Colonel George Robert Canning Harris, 4th Baron Harris,, generally known as Lord Harris, was a British colonial administrator and Governor of Bombay, best known for developing cricket administration via Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald Thomas "Rony" Stanyforth, was an Army officer and English amateur first-class cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, captaining England in the four Test matches he played in.
Frank Mitchell was an English international cricketer and rugby union player.
Christopher Heseltine was an English Test cricketer, cricket administrator, and British Army officer. Heseltine made his debut in first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1892, a club he would go on to have a long association with in both a playing and administrative capacity. He played his county cricket for Hampshire County Cricket Club between 1895 and 1914, developing late as a successful fast bowler in first-class cricket. A close acquaintance of Lord Hawke, he accompanied him on three tours abroad, including to South Africa in 1895–96, making two Test match appearances for England against South Africa, in which he took a five wicket haul on debut. During his first-class career he played in 79 matches and took 170 wickets. He was later a member of the MCC committee and had two spells as president of Hampshire.
Cricket in World War I was severely curtailed in all nations where first-class cricket was then played except India. In England, South Africa and the West Indies, first-class cricket was entirely abandoned for the whole of the war, whilst in Australia and New Zealand regular competitions were played for the 1914–15 season but first-class matches were afterwards abandoned. In South Africa, first-class cricket did not recommence until a series of matches against the Australian Imperial Forces cricket team in late 1919, and provincial cricket was not played until a one-off match between Transvaal and Natal in April 1920.
Andrew Marshall Porter was an Irish barrister who was killed in the Second Boer War while fighting for the Imperial Yeomanry. He was also a noted sportsman, representing Ireland at both cricket and field hockey.
John Edward Raphael was a Belgian-born sportsman who was capped nine times for England at rugby union and played first-class cricket with Surrey. He was a Barrister by profession and a Liberal politician.
Sir Evelyn Ridley Bradford, 2nd Baronet was an English cricketer and an officer in the British Army. Bradford was commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders in 1888, his military career spanning the Mahdist War, Second Boer War and the First World War, with him being killed in action during the latter conflict. As a first-class cricketer, he played exclusively for Hampshire as an all-rounder on eight occasions between 1895 and 1905.
Sir Foster Hugh Egerton Cunliffe, 6th Baronet was an English historian and first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University from 1895 to 1898, for Middlesex from 1897 to 1903 and for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from 1899 to 1903. He was killed serving in World War I.
Cecil William Boyle was an English sportsman who played international rugby union for England and first-class cricket. He was killed in action during the Second Boer War.
Major Arthur Houssemayne du Boulay was a British military officer and amateur cricketer. Born in Kent, he served in the Royal Engineers from 1897 and saw active service in the Second Boer War and First World War. He played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and died in the 1918 flu pandemic whilst on active service in October 1918.
Major William George Sydney Cadogan MVO was a British Army officer killed in the First World War. A son of the 5th Earl Cadogan, he had previously served in the Boer War, and was equerry to the Prince of Wales from 1912 to 1914. He also played a single match of first-class cricket, for the Europeans team in the 1904 Bombay Presidency Match.
Major Frank Fairbairn Crawford was a British Army officer who was killed in the Second Boer War. He also played first-class cricket in two countries – in England for Kent County Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and in South Africa for Natal.
Captain Dudley Henry Forbes played first-class cricket for Oxford University and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Born in Ireland and educated in England, he was an officer of the British Army during the Second Boer War, but died during the conflict.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Percy Lewis was an English first-class cricketer active 1891–1907 who played for Middlesex, Oxford University and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He was born in Kensington and died on active World War I service at Zonnebeke, West Flanders, Belgium.
William Thomas Payne-Gallwey was a British Army officer and first-class cricketer. A career military officer, he was commissioned into the York and Lancaster Regiment before transferring to the Grenadier Guards and serving in the Second Boer War. He played first-class cricket in 1912, before being killed in action in the First World War in September 1914.
Arthur Robertson Hoare was an English first-class cricketer and clergyman.
Ludovic Heathcoat-Amory was an English first-class cricketer and soldier.
Gerald Ernest Francis Ward was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.
Colonel William Leslie Davidson was a Scottish first-class cricketer and British Army officer. After being commissioned into the Royal Horse Artillery in 1869, Davidson's military career consisted of service in Africa during the Anglo-Zulu War and Second Boer War, and the subcontinent during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. He retired from the military in 1907 with the rank of colonel, but returned to the service at the outbreak for the First World War, after which he commanded a base depot in France. He was the oldest first-class cricketer to be killed in the First World War.
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