Wisden tribute to fallen cricketers of first world war

[daggers]

The following is taken from my notes on the names on the memorial at Liverpool Cricket Club, Aigburth, Liverpool which records the fallen of that club and of Liverpool Football Club (the older, Rugby Union version) who for many years used the premises and had many members in common:

COKER, J.C.

The first member to die in action was a regular officer who may have played for the cricket club in 1908 while at Sandhurst but was certainly elected in 1914. His link with Liverpool was obscure until details of his mother’s marriage were found. He had time to earn a mention in dispatches before his early death from wounds received in France. His battalion took part in the Battles of Mons, the Marne and the Aisne and it is likely that his fatal wounds were received in actions on the Aisne Heights on 20th September.

Name: COKER, JOHN CADWALLADER

Rank: Lieutenant

Regiment: South Wales Borderers

Unit Text: 1st Batttalion.

Age: 27

Date of Death: 26/09/1914

Awards: Mentioned in Despatches

Additional information: Son of Col. L.E. Coker, of Bicester House, Oxfordshire.

Grave Ref: I. B. 8.

Cemetery: VENDRESSE BRITISH CEMETERY, Aisne, France

LCC member, elected 1914. Mentioned in French’s Dispatch of Oct. 1914 (LG 19/10/14). Was named on a memorial at the former St Catharine’s Church, Abercromby Square, Liverpool and on the MCC memorial at Lord’s.

from SWB Museum 2/09: COKER, John Cadwallader (Jack); 2nd Lieutenant 12 August 1908; Lieutenant 22 June 1911 To France with 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers 12 August 1914; Died of wounds 26 September 1914.

mentioned in Bond of Sacrifice Volume 1 ; and War Illustrated (Album de Luxe) Volume 1 page 350 ;The Graphic 141017 page 561, Sphere (Daily Newspaper August 1914 - Dec 1919) 141017 page 75.

A report in the Echo was headed ‘Liverpool cricketer killed in battle’ It said he had been educated at Cheltenham, Woolwich and Sandhurst, and that his mother had been the third daughter of James A. Tobin, mayor of Liverpool in 1854/55. JCC had served previously in the South African Mounted Light Infantry.

The memoirs of a local cricketer of note stated that Coker ‘played frequently for Liverpool CC and was a very fast bowler’ as well as being a charming young man. (E. Roper: A Sportsman’s Memoirs.)

Extract from Du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour: COKER, JOHN CADWALLADER, Lieut., 2nd Battn. (24th Foot) The South Wales Borderers, yst s. of Col. L. E. Coker, of Bicester House, co. Oxon: b. 20 Jan. 1887; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. South Wales Borderers 12 Aug. 1908, being promoted Lieut. 22 June, 1911; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and was killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne 26 Sept. 1914.

Extract from The Bond of Sacrifice Volume 2: LIEUTENANT CADWALLADER JOHN COKER, 1st BATTN. THE WELSH REGIMENT, who was killed in action on the 22nd June, 1915, was the younger son of the late James Gould Coker, and was born in Bath, Somersetshire, on the 11th May, 1892.

He was educated at Wellington College, from 1906-11, where he was a College Prefect and a member of the Cricket XI, and at Oriel College, Oxford, where he was a member of the Cricket, Football, and Hockey teams, and of the Shooting VIII, and while at the University he was a member of Vincent's, The Authentics, and the Cryptics. At both Wellington and Oxford he was a Sergeant in the O.T.C., and received his commission as a University candidate in September, 1914. He was promoted Temporary Lieutenant in January, 1915, and was confirmed in the rank on the 1st February. He went out to the front in March, 1915, and was killed in the trenches by a sniper on the 22nd June, 1915. He was buried in the Military Cemetery at Dickebusch, south-east of Ypres. Had he lived one day longer he would have received his promotion to Temporary Captain. On the 24th May he had been wounded at Hooge, and was also slightly gassed in the second Battle of Ypres. Referring to this fighting, the Medical Officer wrote : "He was slightly wounded on Whit Monday in a street which was heavily shelled by the enemy. About forty officers and men were hit in a short time. Mr Coker refused all attention until the others were seen to, helped to carry and dress them, and set a magnificent example to the rest of the wounded by his pluck and coolness. It hardly struck me at the time: it was so entirely what one would have expected of him. He was a fine type of officer and gentleman."

His Commanding Officer wrote of him : "He was one of the best and smartest officers we had in the regiment, and he is a very great loss to us all. He was always cheerful and invaluable in encouraging the men in the trenches when under heavy shell fire." And : "We were very sorry to lose your son. He was always so gallant and very popular." And of his death : "At daybreak he saw a German outside the trench, and got up to shoot him. Unfortunately he remained above the parapet too long, and he was shot through the head and killed instantaneously."

Name: MEREWETHER, CHRISTOPHER KEN

Rank: Captain

Regiment: Wiltshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st/4th Bn.

Age: 27

Date of Death: 20/12/1917 dow

Additional information: Son of the Rev. Canon Wyndham Arthur Seinde Merewether and Harriot Edith Merewether, of Langton House, Salisbury. Native of North Bradley, Wilts.

Grave Ref: C. 31.

Cemetery: PORT SAID WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY, Egypt

LCC member. Played Minor Counties cricket for Wiltshire.

Died of wounds received in action [on 13 Nov: Times]; qualified for Territorial Force War Medal, British War and Victory medals [medal card].

Regimental museum says his wooden cross was taken from Cairo and placed in Salisbury Cathedral cloisters. It also says he served in India in 1916 and at Gaza in 1917. His death was from wounds received in Palestine.

Army List 1911: Lieut, Wiltshire Regt., 17/3/10.

LG: 19/01/15 - 4th Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's(Wiltshire Regiment); Lieutenant Christopher K. Merewether is seconded, under the conditions of Paragraph 112, Territorial Force Regulations. Dated 27th October, 1914. 11/01/15 -Aides de camp - Lieutenant C. K. Merewether, 4th. Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), Territorial Force, 22/09/16 - C. K. Merewether, and to remain seconded. 3rd Nov. 1915 14/11/16 - Wiltshire Regt.—Lt. (temp. Capt.) C. K. Merewether is restored to the establishment. 22nd Nov 1914 17/04/17 - Lt (temp. Capt.) C. K. Merewether to be Capt., with precedence as from 1st June 1916. 20th Apr. 1917.

Times obit: 29 Dec 1917: Winchester College (OTC); Oriel College, Oxford (Hockey Blue 1913), member of Vincents club & Authentics CC. Commanded Bradford-on-Avon half-company of Wiltshires, TF.

Joined White Star Line [Liverpool] for training as an assistant manager. Left to join up on outbreak of war.

I am adding my note on Harold Garnett, another first class cricketer who is named on the board.

Name: GARNETT, HAROLD GWYER

Rank: Major

Regiment: South Wales Borderers

Unit Text: 2nd Bn.

Age: 38

Date of Death: 03/12/1917 kia

Additional information: Croix de Guerre (France).

Son of Alexander Garnett, J.P., and Gladwys Garnett, of Liverpool. 2nd surviving son [Times]

Memorial Ref: Panel 5.

Memorial: CAMBRAI MEMORIAL, LOUVERVAL, Nord, France

LFC & LCC member. LG: 30/10/14 to be Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, KLR (Spec Reserve) 3/11/14. LG :6/2/17 to be Acting Major while serving as Major on Headquarters of a Battalion, 1/12/16. LG: 14/12/17 award of Croix de Guerre. Remembered on the Lancashire County Cricket Club memorial at Old Trafford.

Evening Express, 14/12/17: Lancashire cricketer, played for the Gentlemen v Players.

Cricinfo: 152 1st class matches as an amateur left-hand batsman, 5798 runs; also kept wicket. Spent time in Argentina and played cricket there.

I have photos of sorts of all three but they do not reproduce here.

Daggers

[rolt968]

Two odd thoughts:

I remember being very moved by Benny Green's introduction to the Wisden Anthology; particularly his mention of a very young general (Bradford) and a very elderly subaltern (alas I will have to look him up).

AEJ Collins' record still stands. The 10th wicket stand for Notts by Alletson & Riley although equalled still stands. (Riley killed 1917 if I remember rightly.)

It makes me wonder if any other casualties were involved in still standing records. I await my copy of the book with interest.

R

[Ajaxer]

Daggers

Thank you for the details of Coker, Merewether and Garnett. I can add to their obits, if there is to be a second edition.

Garnett's Wisden obit nicely illustrates how so much of the original information is incorrect. It says he "was killed on the Italian front at the beginning of December".

In fact, he was killed at the Battle of Cambrai on Dec 3 [1917].

In my book, I do not add to the editor Sydney Pardon's words, except to correct the record relating to his death.

Regards

Andrew

[Ajaxer]

Rolt

Benny Green did indeed refer to what he called "those two cricketing minnows, Lt Henry Webber and Brig-General R B Bradford".

Bradford is mentioned in yesterday's Independent on Sunday article (link above) and is one of the Bradford brothers who won VCs.

It was the fourth brother, Tommie, who survived, who was the best cricketer, but he did not get a Wisden obituary after his death in 1966. That should be remedied in Wisden 2015.

Webber is described in my book as "the oldest-known battle casualty of the war". However, an article about him earlier this year in The Sunday Telegraph prompted a response that Jasper Myers Richardson was in fact the oldest casualty.

As to the cricket records, Collins's 628 not out still stands.

The Alletson / Riley 10th wicket partnership of 152 was notable for the fact that it took just 40 minutes because of Alletson's phenomenal hitting.

Riley (indeed kia 1917) contributed 10 not out.

You "wonder if any other casualties were involved in still standing records".

I will have to think very hard about that.

How about Norman Callaway of NSW who scored 207 in his single f-c innings in Feb 1915.

And didn't get a Wisden obituary … but does in my book.

Regards

Andrew

[Ajaxer]

Rolt

You are correct that the Notts tenth-wicket partnership was equalled:

10 152 EB Alletson & W Riley v Sussex County Ground, Hove 1911 f8214 10 152 U Afzaal & AJ Harris v Worcestershire Trent Bridge, Nottingham 2000 f45150

Callaway seems good though for highest score in only innings in first-class cricket.

[Ajaxer]

Records:

Of course:

Colin Blythe, 17 for 48 for Kent v Northants in 1907. Best bowling analysis in one day.

Wickets tally in one day equalled by Hedley Verity (17 for 91 in 1933). Verity died of wounds in 1943.

A book about Verity (10 for 10 by Chris Waters) will be published on June 5.

[dannyboy1807]

Colin Blythe buried at Oxford Road Cemetery

[Ajaxer]

Thanks, dannyboy

Wisden said: "The loss [of Colin Blythe] is the most serious that cricket has sustained during the war."

I believe Sky Sports plan to film a tribute to him (and to AEJ Collins).

[The Scorer]

Rolt and Ajaxer are correct to say that Arthur Collins's score still stands.

It's not generally commented upon, but as well as scoring all those runs, he took 11 wickets for 63 in the oppositions' two innings! According to the Somerset Cricket Museum, he never played first class cricket and didn't much enjoy the fame that his innings brought him.

I don't know how they know, but the display about him in the Museum makes the chilling comment on the match is that 16 of the 22 players were apparently killed in the First World War. If my maths is correct, that's nearly 73% - is this the highest percentage of a sporting team to suffer?

I've had a quick look at the Cricket Archive and CWGC web sites, but I can't immediately spot anyone that might have played and been killed. The former gives details of five who died before or after the First World War, but for the most part doesn't give any Christian names or initials, which makes tracking them down via the latter pretty difficult. There are a couple of others where some information is available on both, but despite that, none of them can be identified.

Edited 30 May , 2014 by The Scorer

[Ajaxer]

The Scorer:

I am reliably informed that only one other member of Collins's team fell in the Great War.

Don't know yet about the opposition.

It sounds as though the museum may be as misinformed as the article in the current MCC Magazine headed 'Their name liveth for evermore' which is riddled with errors.

It starts by saying: "A total of 498 first-class cricketers … died."

And then makes plenty more mistakes.

[Fattyowls]

My copy arrived on Thursday and I just had time to look up Wallace Fraser who was the captain and secretary of my local cricket club before my sis snaffled the book for the rest of the day (it was her birthday present to me so I shouldn't complain too much). She was particularly affected by the story of Niel Fagan . There is so much poignancy in the pages, but every now and then there is a little gem to lighten the sense of loss. My current favourite is the entry for Capt. Hugh Burn of the Coldstream Guards. Burn died of wounds on 16th September 1916 on the Somme and is buried in Grove Town next to the airstrip at Meaulte. He was just 20. The entry says that he was in the Winchester XI and bowled "uncertain googlies". As a mystery bowler myself I've sent down my fair share of uncertain googlies. If I didn't know which way the ball was going to spin what chance had the batsmen; provided of course it pitched somewhere in his general vicinity.

The book is great, thanks Andrew.

Pete.

[Ajaxer]

Pete

I hope you can tell me more about Wallace Fraser via your club.

'Uncertain googlies' is a nice description.

Was Wisden having a wry joke when it described George Alpen (1916) as "one of the best-known cricketers of Belgium"?

We can be amused, because he survived his obituary.

Glad to hear you are enjoying it, albeit there is a surfeit of poignancy.

[Fattyowls]

I hope you can tell me more about Wallace Fraser via your club.

Andrew. I knew nothing about him until last week when my friend Tony told me about him when I mentioned your book. Tony researches the King's Liverpool and I think Capt. Fraser died in front of Guillemont as did so many of his comrades. Tony is off to the Somme with the BBC to make a programme about the Liverpool Pals and I will ask him when he returns. I think he is going to base some of the documentary around a Bootle CC player called F A Seanor who was killed on 1st July 1916. Although Northern is my local club my loyalty is to Bootle as my dad and his mates played for them after the last unpleasantness.

Pete.

P.S. Tony tells me he is dropping increasingly unsubtle hints about the book he wants from his kids for father's day.

[David Ridgus]

Pete.

P.S. Tony tells me he is dropping increasingly unsubtle hints about the book he wants from his kids for father's day.

Pete

Think yourself lucky. My copy has now arrived but because Sharon has old fashioned views about actually waiting for the birthday before opening the presents, I have to spend between now and 16th July looking at the package on top of our wardrobe.

David

[Fattyowls]

Pete

Think yourself lucky. My copy has now arrived but because Sharon has old fashioned views about actually waiting for the birthday before opening the presents, I have to spend between now and 16th July looking at the package on top of our wardrobe.

David

That is what the US Constitution would describe as cruel and unusual punishment.

Pete.

[The Scorer]

The Scorer:

I am reliably informed that only one other member of Collins's team fell in the Great War.

Don't know yet about the opposition.

It sounds as though the museum may be as misinformed as the article in the current MCC Magazine headed 'Their name liveth for evermore' which is riddled with errors.

It starts by saying: "A total of 498 first-class cricketers … died."

And then makes plenty more mistakes.

I did think at the time that the figure was a large percentage, but they seemed to have done their homework about the rest of the display, so I let it pass.

That should teach me not to post here without proof .... but will it?!

[Ajaxer]

The other man who died in the same team as Collins was Capt Ronald Alan Spooner, who died in Salonika on Sept 23, 1916, aged 30, according to CWGC.

He is mentioned on another thread on 'Men returning from Argentina to enlist'. I have re-posted the photo from there.

14 of the boys who took part in the house match at Clifton in 1899 served in WW1.

But I am reliably informed that only Collins, who scored 628 not out, and Spooner, who was out for a duck, fell.

[Ajaxer]

There's a lovely review here:

http://www.andrewrobertscricketstatistics.com/wisden_on_the_great_war.html

Although he does not mention them by name, he rightly gives due credit to the research by Steve Western and Mike Spurrier.

[The Scorer]

I may have opened up a can of worms with my comments about A E J Collins and his teammates!

I've had this from the Curator of the Somerset Cricket Museum:

"The source of the information about the 14 (not 16) players in the house match is an interview between John Inverdale and Bob Acheson on BBC Radio Bristol Mon 3 March 2014, link below, listen from about 9.05mins.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01q83dw "

I hope that the link works .... !

[Ajaxer]

The Scorer:

I also had an email from the Somerset museum curator.

However, for absolute clarification, my post 67 above is correct. Of the 22, only Collins and Spooner died.

Bob Acheson tells me he meant to say that 14 'served' and after he heard a preview of the interview with John Inverdale he asked the editor to cut out his remark that 14 'died'.

Bob is an authority on Clifton, and he has sent me details of the teams.

Unfortunately, on this occasion he mis-spoke. And the BBC mis-edited.

The record will I am sure be correct when we see an interview he has done with Benedict Bermange (The Sky Scorer) which will be shown during the India series.

On another matter affecting Somerset, they are not going to recognise as WW1 victims the two players who died in 1920 and are listed in my book, along with new obituaries.

That's fair enough, because one was shot by the IRA and one shot himself.

Nevertheless, they are on CWGC and my list of 289 f-c men who fell is intended to include all that are on CWGC.

I would welcome comments about this.

[daggers]

Wallace Fraser is another who is remembered on the memorial at Liverpool Cricket Club, which includes members of Liverpool Football Club [RU, not Anfield]. I would be very interested to know what qualified him for Wisden. I cannot reproduce the very poor press photo of him here.

Here is my note on him:

Name: FRASER, WALLACE

Rank: Captain

Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment)

Unit Text: 19th Bn.

Date of Death: 30/07/1916

Additional information: Brother of John H. Fraser, of "Glengar," Osmaston Rd., Prenton, Birkenhead.

Grave Reference: VII. L. 1.

Cemetery: GUILLEMONT ROAD CEMETERY, GUILLEMONT, Somme, France

LFC member. Age estimated as 26. Listed on Liverpool Town Hall Roll of Honour as adjutant, 19th KLR. Brief mention on p.158/9 of The History of 89th Brigade by Brig. Gen. Stanley: “I am very sorry to say that poor Fraser, Adjutant 19th Battalion, was killed. He is a very great loss.”

Echo, 10/8/17: Rugby School. Solicitor, admitted in 1899. Joined remount department on outbreak of war then enlisted in 19/KLR [before receiving his commission in September 1914]. A well-known athlete, playing in the Liverpool Rugby Football Club and associated with the Northern Cricket Club, being secretary, captain, etc.

Daggers

[Ajaxer]

Daggers:

Pete mentions Wallace Fraser in his posts 61 & 63.

Thank you for the information.

The great thing is that there was no 'qualification' for Wisden.

Benny Green poured scorn on the fact that so many men who had only played for schools and clubs were included in a book that was meant to be about first-class cricket.

The result, fortunately, is that the 1,800 men in the wartime almanacks come from all walks of life, albeit with a social bias.

And that is what I found so fascinating when I worked my way through the overgrown graveyard to discover exactly who is in the wartime Wisdens. No one had really looked before.

PS Amazon has now reduced the price to £24.80 so no excuses now!

[daggers]

Ajaxer

Thanks for explanation.

I have just found that Wallace Fraser is commemorated on the memorial at West Lancashire Golf Club. Every little helps...

D

[Michelle Young]

Decent review in Wisden magazine I see

Michelle

[Fattyowls]

It is almost impossible for me to find anything quickly in this book; I did a look up for Andy Pay and it took me ages. First I found the write up on Henry Webber, just below him is reported the strange death of Richard Weld-Blundell, the son of the squire of Little Crosby which is not far from Owls Towers. Then I found Fred Turner of Liverpool Rugby Club whose special memorial in Kemmel Churchyard I visited last September. He was buried side by side with Lt. P.D. Kendall who had captained England at rugby. The fighting around the church later in the war destroyed the original graves but the two memorials are still together.

While I've been checking that I've got my facts straight in the book I've now found a few more entries of interest including Fergus Bowes-Lyon; this is not a book to look at when you are in a rush.

Pete.