Walter Brooks (cricketer)

Walter Tyrrell Brooks MC (23 February 1884 – 3 June 1965) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Brooks served in The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry from 1904–40, serving in the First World War and receiving the Military Cross. He also played first-class cricket.

Walter Brooks

Personal information
Full name	Walter Tyrrell Brooks
Born	23 February 1884 Kensington, London, England
Died	3 June 1965 (aged 81) Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Relations	John Tonge (father-in-law)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1902–1904	Oxfordshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 1 Runs scored 14 Batting average 14.00 100s/50s 0/0 Top score 13* Balls bowled 42 Wickets 2 Bowling average 23.50 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 1/9 Catches/stumpings 0/–
Source: Cricinfo, 25 June 2019

Early life and military career

Brooks was born at Kensington in February 1884. He was educated at Marlborough College. He made his debut in minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire in the 1902, with Brooks playing minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire until 1904, making a total of eighteen appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[1] He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, graduating in 1905 and enlisting with The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.[2] He made a single appearance in first-class cricket for H. D. G. Leveson Gower's XI against Oxford University at Oxford in 1906.[3] Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed by Trevor Branston for a single run in the H. D. G. Leveson Gower's XI first-innings, while in their second-innings he was unbeaten on 13. With the ball, he took the wicket of Branston in the first-innings and Wilfred Bird in their second-innings, finishing with match figures of 2 for 47.[4] He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in January 1909.[5]

WWI and later military career

Brooks served in the First World War with The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, in the early month of which he was promoted to the rank of captain in December 1914.[6] In January 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross,[7] before he was seconded to the general staff in February 1917.[8] He was made a brevet major in December 1917,[9] and while serving on the general staff in October 1918 he was made a temporary lieutenant colonel.[10] He was later made a brevet lieutenant colonel. Over a decade later, he was promoted to the rank of colonel in March 1932, with seniority antedated to February 1928.[11] Brooks retired from active service in October 1939, one month into the Second World War, holding the temporary rank of brigadier. Up until that point he had served as an aide-de-camp to George VI.[12] He was made an honorary brigadier in March 1941.[13] He died at Tunbridge Wells in June 1965. His father-in-law, John Tonge, was also a first-class cricketer.

References

1. "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Walter Brooks". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
2. "No. 27759". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 January 1905. p. 657.
3. "First-Class Matches played by Walter Brooks". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
4. "Oxford University v HDG Leveson-Gower's XI, 1906". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
5. "No. 28225". The London Gazette. 19 February 1909. p. 1311.
6. "No. 29001". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1914. p. 10557.
7. "No. 29438". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 January 1916. p. 577.
8. "No. 30005". The London Gazette. 30 March 1917. p. 3107.
9. "No. 30450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1917. p. 12.
10. "No. 31141". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 January 1919. p. 1194.
11. "No. 33808". The London Gazette. 15 March 1932. p. 1767.
12. "No. 34709". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 October 1939. p. 6933.
13. "No. 35105". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 March 1941. p. 1509.

External links

• Walter Brooks at ESPNcricinfo