The Coming Storm, page 14
He made two first-class appearances, both for Otago in New Zealand and both in the Plunket Shield in 1939. He made his debut against Canterbury on 23 December 1939 at Lancaster Park. Canterbury won the toss and decided to bat making 374, the New Zealand test cricketer Martin Paterson Donnelly making 104 and the Otago bowler Thomas George Frederick Lemin taking five wickets for 96 off 19 overs. In reply Otago made 249, Monteath making 12 before being caught by Harry Davis off the bowling of the New Zealand test cricketer Donald Alexander Noel McRae. Monteath, playing as wicketkeeper, also caught Francis Patrick O’Brian off Lemin’s bowling. In reply Canterbury made 38. Otago didn’t bat again and the match was drawn.
He made his second first-class appearance against Auckland on 30 December 1940 at Eden Park. Otago won the toss and decided to bat making 194, Monteath making one before being lbw to the bowling of the New Zealand test cricketer John Cowie. In reply Auckland made 496, the New Zealand test cricketer Verdun Scott making a century. The Otago bowler Cedric Elmes took five wickets for 133 off 45 overs. In their second innings Otago made 133, Monteath making one before being bowled again by John Cowie. Cowie took six wickets during the innings for 44 runs off 21 overs. Auckland won the match by an innings and 169 runs.
During the war Monteath enlisted as a private in the 20th New Zealand Infantry being posted to North Africa. At Mingar Qaim the division was told to hold back the advance of Rommel’s Panzers. By midday on 27 June 1942 it had been surrounded by the Germans’ 21st Panzer Division. The Panzers attacked the 20th Battalion’s sector which was situated on the northern side of the Mingar Qaim escarpment but were beaten back. During the evening the division was ordered to break out, which they did successfully. During the action at Minqar Qaim and the subsequent breakout, the battalion suffered thirteen killed. One of these casualties was Private Alastair Patrick Johnstone Monteath.
Monteath’s body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, column 104.
Batting and fielding averages
Bowling averages
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Godfrey Bertram Arkwright DSO
MC
Hampshire
Four first-class matches
12 Royal Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps
Died 1 July 1942, aged 37
Right-hand bat
‘The finest bat at Eton College’
Francis Arkwright was born on 30 January 1905 in Bromley. He was the son of Bertram Harry Godfrey and Grace Emma Julie (née Hurt). He went up to Eton in 1918 where he played in the XI, turning out against the Household Brigade in 1922 (losing by three wickets), Oxford University Authentics (drawn), Scotland XI (drawn), Winchester (drawn) and Harrow (drawn). In his second appearance for Eton against Winchester Arkwright made 175 in Eton’s first innings. He and E.W. Dawson, later captain of Cambridge University and Leicestershire, put on 301 for the second wicket, a record for an Eton Winchester match. The match was drawn. He headed the Eton averages with 52.44 in 1923. He also played for Lord’s School against The Rest (Lord’s School won by nine wickets) and Public Schools against the Army (the Army won by seven wickets).
Arkwright made four first-class appearances in the county championship, three for Hampshire and one for the Army. He made his debut for Hampshire on 11 August 1923 against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Lancashire decided to bat making 255, the England test player Alex Kennedy taking six wickets for 67 off 34 overs. In reply Hampshire made 259, Arkwright being bowled by the test cricketer Cecil Harry Parkin for 14. The England test cricketer George Brown made 104 and Frank Watson took five wickets for 57 off 29 overs. In their second innings Lancashire made 177. In their second innings Hampshire made 168, Parkin taking a further five wickets for 84 off 29 overs. The match was drawn.
He made his second first-class appearance against Yorkshire on 15 August 1923 at Headingley, again in the county championship. Yorkshire won the toss and decided to bat making 246. In reply Hampshire made 327, Arkwright making ten before being bowled by George Macaulay. In their second innings Yorkshire made 206. Hampshire didn’t bat again and the match was drawn.
His third first-class appearance was against Lancashire, again in the county championship, this time played on 18 August 1923, at the County Ground, Southampton. Lancashire won the toss and decided to bat making 131. In reply Hampshire made 268, Arkwright making 11 before being bowled by his old adversary Cecil Parkin. Parkin took seven wickets for 99 off 35 overs during the innings. In their second innings Lancashire made 362, Frank Watson making 131. In their second innings Hampshire made 88, Arkwright making six before being caught by the England test cricketer George Duckworth off the bowling of William Edward Hickmott. The match was drawn.
Arkwright had to wait almost two years to make his fourth and final first-class appearance, this time a university match played for the Army against Cambridge University. The match was played at F.P. Fenner’s Ground, Cambridge on 30 May 1925. The Army won the toss and decided to bat making 196, Arkwright making zero before being caught by Hamer Fraser Bagnall off the bowling of Henry John Enthoven. Godfrey Bryan made 112. Enthoven took five wickets for 51 off 19 overs. In reply Cambridge made 416, Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji making 128. Henry Raphael Kirkwood took five wickets for 100 off 27 overs. In their second innings the Army made 238, Arkwright making 23 before being bowled by Enthoven, who took six wickets for 64 off 33 overs. In their second innings Cambridge made 19, taking the game by eight wickets. Arkwright also turned out for C.F. Tufnell’s XI and the Butterflies.
Deciding on a career in the Army he went up to Sandhurst where he was in the XI playing against the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, making 31 and 14 not out. He also took three wickets, Sandhurst taking the match by ten wickets. On leaving Sandhurst in March 1925 he was commissioned into the 12th Lancers. During the 1930s Arkwright was posted to the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan as a bimbashi (captain). While there he commanded No. 1 Motor Machine Gun Battery which was part of the Sudan Defence Force. During the winter-spring of 1934 he achieved his most notable feat by occupying Ain Murr, situated in the very remote Jebel Uweinat, during the Sarra Dispute with Italy. He also found time to meet and marry Joyce Nancy Evelyn of Newtownbarry, Co. Wexford.
On his return to England he was made adjutant to the 12th Lancers before going to the staff college in September 1939.
Arkwright was also a fine polo player, considered the best the regiment had produced since 1914. On the outbreak of the Second World War he was sent to France as a staff officer. In May 1940 however he was promoted to brigade major and given command of his own tank formation with the 12th Lancers, being awarded a Military Cross (London Gazette 18 October 1940) for his actions with this unit.
After returning to England he was sent to Libya in 1941 seeing much action before being promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of the 4th County of London Yeomanry in May 1942. He was killed in action at Acroma in Libya on 1 July 1942.
The circumstances were explained in the regimental diary at the time:
Day 36
Ordered to move at 0700 SW to vicinity of trig Pt 97.
In the afternoon moved 4 miles North to cover South African Bde box against a threatened tank attack. Later moved South again to original position and about 1800hrs ordered 6 miles West to assist an Indian Bde box against an attack by enemy who had penetrated the minefields. The situation of the box was evidently very insecure on our arrival and the Regt was formed up on the South side of the box facing SW to meet a tank attack coming in from that direction. Guns and tanks moved forward under enemy smoke-screen.
1st RTR Stuarts arrived on our left flank and turned back an attempt to outflank us.
About 20 minutes before last light enemy guns were reported being hauled into position to attack our right flank – the move was only made possible by the failure of the box to hold the enemy attack from the NE. At this point Col Arkwright dismounted in order to discuss the situation with the Brigadier over the rear-link set in the Adjutant’s tank. Whilst on the back of the Adjutant’s tank he was hit and killed by an AP [Armoured Piercing Shell] shot. The command was taken over by Major Scott, who ordered a withdrawal Eastwards with the concurrence of Bde.
Leaguered about the point from which we had started, 6 miles East of the scene of the action. Col Arkwright was buried near the leaguer at map ref 887278.
For his actions on this day Arkwright was awarded a DSO (London Gazette 13 August 1942). His body could not be found after the war and he is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Column 19.
Batting and fielding averages
Bowling averages
Eton College team photograph 1922. Back Row (left to right): F.G.R. Arkwright, R.G.M. Kennerley-Rumford, W.G. Wothington (12th man), G.S. Incledon-Webber, J.E. Hurley. Middle row: E.W. Dawson, Lord Dunglass, G.K. Cox (Captain), M.R. Bridgeman, N. Llewelyn-Davies. Sitting: N.R. Barrett, W.P. Thursby.
Able Seaman David Price
Western Province
Fourteen first-class appearances
HMS Niger South African Naval Forces
Died 6 July 1942, aged 31
Right-handed bat/Right arm medium pace
‘Went down with his ship’
HMS Niger.
David Price was born on 13 August 1910 in Cape Town Province, South Africa. He was the son of Harry and Mary Price, also of Cape Town.
Price made fourteen first-class appearances for Western Province between 1934 and 1939, ten of which were in the Currie Cup. He made his debut for Western Province in the Currie Cup against Griqualand West on 31 March 1934 at Newlands. Western Province won the toss and decided to bat making 438. Price, batting last, made 15 not out. Harold William Morgan made 115 and Leslie Martin Manning 123. In reply Griqualand West made 154. The South African test cricketer John Benjamin Robertson took six wickets for 22 off 13 overs. Forced to follow on, Griqualand West made 171, Price catching the opener the South African test cricketer Frank Nicholson off the bowling of Howard Hugh Watt for six. He also bowled four overs taking no wickets for ten, Gordon Blake Paull taking six wickets for 61 off 26 overs. Western Province won by an innings and 113 runs.
He went on play against Orange Free State, Transvaal, North Eastern Transvaal, Border and Natal, all in the Currie Cup. He also played against the MCC in South Africa and Australia. He made his final first-class appearance for Western Province against Transvaal on 30 December 1939 at Newlands. Transvaal won the toss and decided to bat making 383, the South African test cricketer Eric Rowan making 164. Price bowled 21 overs taking two wickets for 94, John Thorne Seccombe for one and the test cricketer Dooley Briscoe for eight. He also ran out Robert Edward Somers Vine for 39. In reply Western Province made 242, Price making five before being lbw off the bowling of South African test cricketer Athol Matthew Burchell Rowan, Norman Gordon taking five wickets for 87 off 33 overs. In their second innings Transvaal made 225, Price bowling 15 overs and taking two wickets for 65, Seccombe for 35 and James Henry Maxwell Pickerill caught George Georgeu for 44. Making a fight of it, Western Province made 354 in their second innings, Price making seven before being bowled by Rowan. Despite Andrew Ronald MacKenzie Ralph making 140, Transvaal finally took the match by 12 runs but it was a near run thing.
During his career Price made 204 runs, his highest score being 28 against North Eastern Transvaal. He bowled 3,340 taking 48 wickets for 1,785 runs. He also made nine catches. During this period he made time to meet and marry Ivy, of Salisbury, Rhodesia.
During the war Price joined the South African navy as an able seaman, finding himself serving on the cruiser Niger. On 14 February 1942 the Niger met thirteen merchant ships which constituted Convoy PQ11. The following day they sailed from Kirkwall making for Murmansk in Russia, arriving on the 22nd without loss. The convoy consisted of eight British, two Russian, one American, one Panamanian and one Honduran. It was also escorted by two destroyers, two corvettes and four ASW trawlers, supported by the Niger. As it approached Murmansk the convoy was joined by two Russian destroyers and five British minesweepers based at Murmansk. The return convoy QP11, which consisted of thirteen ships, sailed on 28 April 1942, escorted by the Niger as well as the cruiser Edinburgh. Later, the German submarine U-456 attacked the convoy hitting the Edinburgh with two torpedoes, crippling her and forcing her to return to Murmansk. German command then sent three destroyers to attack the convoy and finish of HMS Edinburgh. They attacked on the afternoon of 1 May. The Amazon was hit twice and severely damaged. This was followed by a German torpedo salvo hitting and sinking the Soviet freighter Tsiolkovski. The Germans then went after the Edinburgh. Despite being badly damaged the Edinburgh still managed to hit and cripple one of the German destroyers, the Hermann Schoemann, later scuttled. The Edinburgh was hit by torpedo and eventually had to scuttle herself too. After this Niger joined convoy QP13, thirty-five ships. As a result of bad weather and with fog reducing visibility to 500 yards the Niger veered off course sailing into a minefield off Iceland. On 5 July 1942 the Niger hit a mine and blew up at 2240 sinking quickly. The commanding officer, 8 officers and 140 ratings went down with her.
Price’s body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 74, column 2.
First-class Career Batting and Fielding
First-class Career Bowling (1933/34-1939/40)
Lieutenant Denis Andrew Robert Moloney
New Zealand, Canterbury, Otago, Wellington
Three tests/Sixty-four first-class appearances
20th Infantry Regiment
Died 15 July 1942, aged 31
Right-handed bat/Leg break
‘Died holding back Rommel’s Panzers’
D.A.R. Moloney was born on 11 August 1910 in Dunedin, New Zealand. An outstanding cricketer he went on to play for New Zealand in three tests and make sixty-four first-class appearances for Canterbury, Otago and Wellington.
Moloney made his first-class debut for Otago against Auckland in the Plunket Shield on 24 December 1929 at Eden Park. Auckland won the toss and decided to field. Otago made a disastrous start making only 67 runs, Moloney being lbw to Wensley for zero. Albert Wensley (who also played for Sussex between 1922 and 1936) took nine wickets for 36 runs off 24 overs. In reply Auckland made 356, the New Zealand test cricketer John Ernest Mills making 185. Moloney bowled 12 overs taking two wickets for 34. Sydney Albert Roberts Badeley caught John James Morrell McMullan for 28 and the New Zealand test cricketer Mal Matheson for zero. In their second innings Otago did little better making ninety-seven. Moloney making six not out. Auckland won the match by an innings and 192 runs. Moloney making seventy in the first innings and seventy-one in the second
Moloney continued to represent Otago in the Plunket Shield against Wellington, Canterbury and Auckland playing against these sides on several occasions between 1929 and 1934 playing his final game for them against Wellington on 24 December 1934 at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. Wellington winning by eight wickets. On 8 February 1935 he played for the South Island against the North Island at the Basin Reserve. South Island won by six wickets. He also took four wickets.
Joining Wellington he made his debut for them against Canterbury in the Plunket Shield once again at the Basin Reserve on 27 December 1935. Wellington won the toss and decided to bat making 196, Maloney opening the batting made twenty-three before being bowled by the New Zealand test cricketer Ian Cromb. The New Zealand test cricketer Bill Merritt taking five wickets for seventy-two off twenty-three overs. In reply Canterbury made 122. In their second innings Wellington made 112, Moloney made thirty-four before being bowled by Bill Merritt. Merritt taking five wickets for forty-nine off fourteen overs during the innings. In their second innings Canterbury made 184. The Wellington bowler Bernard Griffiths taking six wickets for fifty-five off fourteen overs. Wellington won by two runs.
Moloney went on to play for Wellington in the Plunket Shield against Otago, Auckland, Canterbury playing against the sides several times between 1935 and 1938. He also played for New Zealand against the MCC in New Zealand on 24 March 1937 at the Basin Reserve. The match was drawn. The on form Moloney was then selected to go the New Zealand Tour of the British Isles in 1937.
He made his debut for New Zealand against Surrey at the Oval on 8 May 1937. Surrey won the toss and decided to bat making 149. Moloney bowled two overs taking no wickets for nine. In reply New Zealand made 233 Moloney making nine before being caught by Edward Brooks off the bowling of the England test cricketer, Alfred Richard Gover (Wisden cricketer of the year 1937). Gover bowled twenty-eight overs taking six wickets for fiftyseven runs. In their second innings Surrey made 127 before the match ended. The match was drawn.
He went on to play for New Zealand against the MCC, Glamorgan, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire.
Moloney was selected to play in the first test commencing on 26 June 1937 at Lord’s Cricket ground St John’s Wood. England won the toss and decided to bat making 424. Joseph Hardstaff making 114 and Wally Hammond 140. Moloney bowled two overs taking no wickets for nine. He also caught Joseph Hardstaff off the bowling of Albert William (Alby) Roberts of 114. In their first innings New Zealand made 295, Moloney making sixty-four before being caught and bowled by Hedley Verity (Wisden cricketer of the year 1932) who himself was killed in action in 1943. In their second innings England made 226 declared. In their second innings New Zealand made 175, Moloney being run out for zero. The match was eventually drawn.
After the first test Moloney went on to play against Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Yorkshire and Scotland. Moloney was selected to play in the second test against England on 24 July 1937 at Old Trafford, Manchester. England won the toss and decided to bat making 358, Len Hutton (Wisden cricketer of the year 1938) made a century. In reply New Zealand made 281, Moloney, opening for New Zealand made eleven before being lbw to ‘Big Jim’ Smith. In their second innings England were held back to 187. Moloney also took two catches, Wally Hammond for a duck off the bowling of John Cowie and Walter Robins (Wisden cricketer of the year 1930) off the bowling of Cowie once again. John Cowie taking six wickets for sixty-seven off twenty-three overs during the innings. In their second innings New Zealand made 134, Moloney making twenty before being run out. Thomas Goddard (Wisden cricketer of the year 1938) took six wickets for 29 off 14 overs. England won by 130 runs.
