Frank Simpson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Colonel Frank William Simpson DSO
OBE
(27 March 1909 – ) was a British Army
officer who also played cricket
, including two first-class
games, for various military teams between 1931 and 1954, also playing for the Straits Settlements
in 1938 and 1939.
on 27 March 1909 and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
. He then went on to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers
as a second lieutenant
on 29 August 1929. He made his first-class cricket
debut in August 1931, playing for the Army
against the MCC
at Lord's
as a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace
bowler. He was promoted lieutenant
on 29 August 1932. He was placed on half-pay due to ill-health on 13 April 1936, and returned to full duty, but with reduced seniority, on 15 July 1936.
against the Federated Malay States
in 1938 and 1939. He was appointed as an adjutant
on 28 January 1939 and served throughout the Second World War. By the Normandy Landings he was a substantive captain and temporary major. He was landed in France at 0900 on D-Day in command of 26 and 80 Assault Squadrons, Royal Engineers, in the "Nan Red" sector of Juno Beach
. The task of these squadrons, which had only been formed three months previously, was to clear exits through the defences at the top of the beach so that the largely Canadian forces landed there could breakout into the country beyond. One exit "N7" was opened as planned but one troop
of AVRE
armoured vehicles was landed some distance away from their intended position, and this, combined with a very high-tide, delayed the opening of exit "N6". Simpson managed to reorganise his available forces to open this exit, and some additional ones which were not in the original plans. He also made use of his vehicles to support infantry which was being harassed by snipers hidden in buildings, and organised the traffic on the beach to clear the developing log-jam of men and vehicles. His squadrons also filled a large shell crater in Bernières-sur-Mer
which was blocking the way. Despite heavy fire of all types, he moved around on foot, or on borrowed motorcycles. As a result he was recommended for the immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order
, which was made on 31 August 1944.
in August 1947, and played his second, and final, first-class match for the Combined Services
against Glamorgan
in Pontypridd
in 1948. He was promoted lieutenant colonel on 31 July 1951, and was posted to the Ministry of Defence
in September. Initially he was a secretary to the Joint War Production Committee, and then from August 1952 he was responsible for briefing the UK NATO representatives on those issues. He was also a secretary to the committee working to standardise military stores. His posting was completed in September 1953, and as a result he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1954 New Year Honours
, the counter-signing officer also commented: "Quite apart from his work here, this officer deserves recognition for his services to Army cricket and rugger[ Rugby Union
] over a long period." He then commanded a Royal Engineers regiment until 31 July 1954, that year he also played cricket for the Army against Hampshire
and for the Royal Engineers against the Royal Artillery at Lord's. He was promoted colonel on 29 January 1955, and retired from the army on 29 April 1959. He died in Hampshire
in 1992.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(27 March 1909 – ) was 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...
officer who also played 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...
, including two 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...
games, for various military teams between 1931 and 1954, also playing for the Straits Settlements
Straits Settlements cricket team
The Straits Settlements cricket team was the team that represented the Straits Settlements in international cricket matches between 1890 and 1940.-History:...
in 1938 and 1939.
Biography
Simpson was born in SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
on 27 March 1909 and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby is a British independent school for day pupils, located in Great Crosby on Merseyside....
and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
. He then went on to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 29 August 1929. He made his first-class cricket
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 in August 1931, playing for the Army
British Army cricket team
The Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The team played a number of first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined "Army and Navy" side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team in 1910 and 1911...
against the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
as a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
bowler. He was promoted lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 29 August 1932. He was placed on half-pay due to ill-health on 13 April 1936, and returned to full duty, but with reduced seniority, on 15 July 1936.
Second World War
He played two matches for the Straits SettlementsStraits Settlements cricket team
The Straits Settlements cricket team was the team that represented the Straits Settlements in international cricket matches between 1890 and 1940.-History:...
against the Federated Malay States
Federated Malay States cricket team
The Federated Malay States cricket team was a team that represented the Federated Malay States in international cricket matches between 1905 and 1940. Cricket has been played in Peninsular Malaysia since the 1880s, and the Federated Malay States usually combined with the Straits Settlements cricket...
in 1938 and 1939. He was appointed as an adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
on 28 January 1939 and served throughout the Second World War. By the Normandy Landings he was a substantive captain and temporary major. He was landed in France at 0900 on D-Day in command of 26 and 80 Assault Squadrons, Royal Engineers, in the "Nan Red" sector of Juno Beach
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
. The task of these squadrons, which had only been formed three months previously, was to clear exits through the defences at the top of the beach so that the largely Canadian forces landed there could breakout into the country beyond. One exit "N7" was opened as planned but one troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
of AVRE
Avre
Avre may refer to:*Avre , a river in northwestern France, tributary of the Eure*Avre , a river in northern France, tributary of the Somme*Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, a military vehicle of the British Army...
armoured vehicles was landed some distance away from their intended position, and this, combined with a very high-tide, delayed the opening of exit "N6". Simpson managed to reorganise his available forces to open this exit, and some additional ones which were not in the original plans. He also made use of his vehicles to support infantry which was being harassed by snipers hidden in buildings, and organised the traffic on the beach to clear the developing log-jam of men and vehicles. His squadrons also filled a large shell crater in Bernières-sur-Mer
Bernières-sur-Mer
Bernières-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.In 1944, Le Régiment de la Chaudière, a French Canadian infantry unit, came ashore at Bernières-sur-Mer as a part of Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings which began the liberation of...
which was blocking the way. Despite heavy fire of all types, he moved around on foot, or on borrowed motorcycles. As a result he was recommended for the immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, which was made on 31 August 1944.
Post-war
After the war, Simpson remained in the Army, and became a substantive major on 1 July 1946. He also continued with his cricket, playing for the Army against the Minor CountiesMinor counties of English cricket
The Minor Counties are the cricketing counties of England and Wales that are not afforded first-class status. The game is administered by the Minor Counties Cricket Association which comes under the England and Wales Cricket Board...
in August 1947, and played his second, and final, first-class match for the Combined Services
Combined Services cricket team
The Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
in 1948. He was promoted lieutenant colonel on 31 July 1951, and was posted to the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in September. Initially he was a secretary to the Joint War Production Committee, and then from August 1952 he was responsible for briefing the UK NATO representatives on those issues. He was also a secretary to the committee working to standardise military stores. His posting was completed in September 1953, and as a result he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1954 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, the counter-signing officer also commented: "Quite apart from his work here, this officer deserves recognition for his services to Army cricket and rugger
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and for the Royal Engineers against the Royal Artillery at Lord's. He was promoted colonel on 29 January 1955, and retired from the army on 29 April 1959. He died in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in 1992.