Ernest Fawcus
Encyclopedia
Ernest Augustus Fawcus was an English
cricket
er. Fawcus was a right-handed batsman who bowled
with his right-arm, although his bowling style is unknown. He was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland
and educated at Aldenham School
and would later become a British Army
and Royal Air Force
officer. He died in Halton
, Buckinghamshire
on 30 June 1966.
. He served in the war, initially in the British Army
with the Northumberland Fusiliers
. By 1917 he was a Lieutenant
in the Fusiliers, having been promoted to that rank from 2nd Lieutenant on 26 May 1915, and was later promoted to Captain
on 4 January 1917. Later in January 1917, he was seconded for duty in the Royal Flying Corps
, which by September 1917 he remained seconded with. By September 1917 he was given the equivalent rank of captain in the Royal Flying Corps, that of Flight Commander. Fawcus was awarded the Croix de guerre
, which was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette
in 1918.
On 12 December 1928, Fawcus was promoted from Flight Lieutenant to Squadron Leader
. On 1 July 1935, Fawcus was promoted from Squadron Leader to Wing Commander
. On 10 January 1940, he was placed on the retired list of officers. At this time he held the rank of Group Captain
.
against the Kent Second XI
in 1925. He played Minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire from 1925 to 1928, making 20 appearances. He made his first-class
debut for the Royal Air Force
against the Royal Navy
in 1927. He made four further first-class appearances for the Royal Air Force, the last of which came against the Royal Navy in 1929. In his five first-class matches, he scored 291 runs at an average
of 41.57, with a high score of 115. This score, which was his only first-class century
, came against on debut against the Royal Navy in 1927. With the ball, he took 8 wickets at a bowling average
of 25.75, with best figures of 4/51.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
er. Fawcus was a right-handed batsman who bowled
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
with his right-arm, although his bowling style is unknown. He was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and educated at Aldenham School
Aldenham School
Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged thirteen to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England...
and would later become a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer. He died in Halton
Halton, Buckinghamshire
Halton is a small village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England about 2 miles from Wendover and 5 miles from Aylesbury. It lies just outside the Metropolitan Green Belt so it has not been protected from postwar housing development...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
on 30 June 1966.
Military career
Fawcus graduated from the Officer Training Corps with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant on 26 January 1914, shortly before World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He served in the war, initially in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
with the Northumberland Fusiliers
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Originally raised in 1674, the regiment was amalgamated with three other fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.-Origins:...
. By 1917 he was a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Fusiliers, having been promoted to that rank from 2nd Lieutenant on 26 May 1915, and was later promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 4 January 1917. Later in January 1917, he was seconded for duty in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
, which by September 1917 he remained seconded with. By September 1917 he was given the equivalent rank of captain in the Royal Flying Corps, that of Flight Commander. Fawcus was awarded the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, which was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
in 1918.
On 12 December 1928, Fawcus was promoted from Flight Lieutenant to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
. On 1 July 1935, Fawcus was promoted from Squadron Leader to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
. On 10 January 1940, he was placed on the retired list of officers. At this time he held the rank of Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
.
Cricket
Fawcus made his debut for BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
against the Kent Second XI
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
in 1925. He played Minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire from 1925 to 1928, making 20 appearances. He made his 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...
debut for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force cricket team
The Royal Air Force cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Royal Air Force. The team played 11 first-class matches: nine between 1922 and 1932, mostly against other branches of the Services, and another two in 1945 and 1946. Their home ground is the Royal Air Force Sports Ground,...
against the Royal Navy
Royal Navy Cricket Club
The Royal Navy Cricket Club is a cricket team representing the British Royal Navy and based at the United Services Recreation Ground, Portsmouth, Hampshire...
in 1927. He made four further first-class appearances for the Royal Air Force, the last of which came against the Royal Navy in 1929. In his five first-class matches, he scored 291 runs at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 41.57, with a high score of 115. This score, which was his only first-class century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
, came against on debut against the Royal Navy in 1927. With the ball, he took 8 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 25.75, with best figures of 4/51.
External links
- Ernest Fawcus at ESPNcricinfo
- Ernest Fawcus at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...