Alan Ross
Encyclopedia
Alan John Ross, was a British
poet, writer and editor. He was born in Calcutta, India
, where he spent the first seven years of his life. When he was sent to be educated in Falmouth
, England
, Ross spoke better Hindustani
than English
.
where, being both small for his age and a latecomer to his year, he initially suffered greatly from bullying—to his intense relief the bully was killed in a vacation cycling accident—but his stock quickly rose when he revealed a talent which matched his passion for cricket. With a hint of the debonair style that was to characterise his life, he avoided participation in the OTC and all study of mathematics and science, instead enjoying art, French poetry and racquet sports. As a senior boy he was caned for making an unlicensed visit to Wimbledon
; it was his misfortune that he figured, smoking a cigarette, in a photograph of spectators carried in his headmaster's newspaper the following morning.
In 1940 he went to read modern languages at St John's College, Oxford
, where he was a contemporary of Philip Larkin
and Kingsley Amis
. Ross represented the university at both cricket
and squash
but did not complete his studies after joining the Royal Navy
in 1941. Before doing so, he appeared in the annual match against Cambridge at Lord's in 1941, but because of World War II
the fixture was reduced to a single day and did not have first-class
status. The same season he appeared in one one-day match for Northamptonshire
.
, Ross served on several destroyer
s escorting supply ships to the Soviet Union
. On 30 December 1942 Ross was almost killed whilst serving aboard , the leading destroyer in a convoy assigned to fend off a strong flotilla of German capital ships intent on annihilating the arctic convoy JW51B, at the Battle of the Barents Sea
. He was ordered to take a turn controlling a fire below in the forward part of the ship and, to save the main body of the ship in the event of an explosion, sealed in for half an hour with a hose, armpit-deep in water, the bodies of two gun crews washing against him. The incident is vividly described in both his poem "J.W.51B a convoy", and his first volume of memoirs.
funded Ross and the artist John Minton
to travel to Corsica
to produce the travel book Time Was Away.
In 1949 Ross married Jennifer Fry, only daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fry, Bt. of the Frys
who founded the chocolate company. He became a sports writer for The Observer
in 1950 and became the paper's cricket correspondent in 1953, the same year his son was born. Throughout the 1950s Ross was a regular contributor to Lehmann's London Magazine
, before taking over as the title's editor in 1961. He edited the monthly magazine until his death; during this period it transformed from an academic literary review to a far more cutting-edge review of the arts.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
poet, writer and editor. He was born in Calcutta, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he spent the first seven years of his life. When he was sent to be educated in Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ross spoke better Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
than English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Early years
Following preparatory school Ross boarded at HaileyburyHaileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
where, being both small for his age and a latecomer to his year, he initially suffered greatly from bullying—to his intense relief the bully was killed in a vacation cycling accident—but his stock quickly rose when he revealed a talent which matched his passion for cricket. With a hint of the debonair style that was to characterise his life, he avoided participation in the OTC and all study of mathematics and science, instead enjoying art, French poetry and racquet sports. As a senior boy he was caned for making an unlicensed visit to Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
; it was his misfortune that he figured, smoking a cigarette, in a photograph of spectators carried in his headmaster's newspaper the following morning.
In 1940 he went to read modern languages at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, where he was a contemporary of Philip Larkin
Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL is widely regarded as one of the great English poets of the latter half of the twentieth century...
and Kingsley Amis
Kingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
. Ross represented the university at both cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
but did not complete his studies after joining the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1941. Before doing so, he appeared in the annual match against Cambridge at Lord's in 1941, but because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the fixture was reduced to a single day and did not have first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
status. The same season he appeared in one one-day match for Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
.
Naval career
During his first two years in the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Ross served on several destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s escorting supply ships to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. On 30 December 1942 Ross was almost killed whilst serving aboard , the leading destroyer in a convoy assigned to fend off a strong flotilla of German capital ships intent on annihilating the arctic convoy JW51B, at the Battle of the Barents Sea
Battle of the Barents Sea
The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on 31 December 1942 between German surface raiders and British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway...
. He was ordered to take a turn controlling a fire below in the forward part of the ship and, to save the main body of the ship in the event of an explosion, sealed in for half an hour with a hose, armpit-deep in water, the bodies of two gun crews washing against him. The incident is vividly described in both his poem "J.W.51B a convoy", and his first volume of memoirs.
Journalistic career
After he was demobilised in 1946 Ross decided not to resume his studies at Oxford but instead try his hand at journalism. In 1946 his first poetry collection The Derelict Day was published, it contained poems he had written whilst in the Navy. The following year the publisher John LehmannJohn Lehmann
Rudolf John Frederick Lehmann was an English poet and man of letters, and one of the foremost literary editors of the twentieth century, founding the periodicals New Writing and The London Magazine.The fourth child of journalist Rudolph Lehmann, and brother of Helen Lehmann, novelist Rosamond...
funded Ross and the artist John Minton
John Minton (artist)
Francis John Minton was an English painter, illustrator, stage designer and teacher. After studying in France, he became a teacher in London, and at the same time maintained a consistently large output of works...
to travel to Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
to produce the travel book Time Was Away.
In 1949 Ross married Jennifer Fry, only daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fry, Bt. of the Frys
Fry Family (Chocolate)
The Fry family was prominent in England especially Bristol, in the Society of Friends, and in the confectionery business in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.-Origins:...
who founded the chocolate company. He became a sports writer for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
in 1950 and became the paper's cricket correspondent in 1953, the same year his son was born. Throughout the 1950s Ross was a regular contributor to Lehmann's London Magazine
London Magazine
The London Magazine is a historied publication of arts, literature and miscellaneous interests. Its history ranges nearly three centuries and several reincarnations, publishing the likes of William Wordsworth, William S...
, before taking over as the title's editor in 1961. He edited the monthly magazine until his death; during this period it transformed from an academic literary review to a far more cutting-edge review of the arts.
Major works on Cricket
- Australia 55 (1955)
- Cape Summer and the Australians in England (1956)
- Through the Caribbean (1960)
- Australia 63 (1963)
- Ranji: Prince of Cricketers (1983)
- The Cricketer's Companion (ed) (1960). Republished as Kingswood book of cricket (1979)
- Green fading into blue (1999) (Writings on sport)