Jack Massie
Encyclopedia
Robert John 'Jack' Allwright Massie DSO
(8 July 1890 – 14 February 1966) was an Australian first-class cricket
er who played with New South Wales
and represented them in the Sheffield Shield.
Massie also served in World War I as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force
, seeing action at Gallipoli and on the Western Front
in France. Injuries sustained in the war ended his cricket career, but he had a successful business career, principally with British American Tobacco
.
while studying Civil Engineering and represented New South Wales four times. He was picked in the Australian rugby squad to tour New Zealand in 1913 but had to withdraw due to study commitments.
In 1913 he won the NSW Amateur Boxing Heavy Weight Championship and the following year was state champion in the 120 yard hurdles. He also excelled at rifle-shooting and rowing.
Massie's best performance in a match came in a Sheffield Shield encounter in 1912/13, with New South Wales taking on Victoria. His second innings figures of 7 for 110 gave him 11 wickets for the match and included the scalps of Warwick Armstrong
and Jack Ryder.
He was generally an ineffective batsman but did manage a half century against Western Australia in 1912 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
. New South Wales declared their second innings at 8/375 once he reached the milestone and went on to win the match.
on 17 August 1914, was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the 4th Battalion on 14 September, served with distinction during the war. His battalion embarked for Egypt in October, and he was promoted lieutenant
on 1 February 1915. He took part in Australia's campaign at Gallipoli and in just his second day in the conflict was fortunate to survive a suicidal advance towards the Turkish lines, resulting from orders that were misunderstood by his battalion, when his commanding officer was killed, Massie tried to recover his body. While fighting at Gallipoli he wore a scarlet rag on his right arm so that if he was shot by the Turkish marksmen it would likely be to the arm that stood out and not his left arm which he used for bowling.
Massie received slight wounds on 25 June, and 20 July, he was seriously injured on the night of 6–7 August 1915, during the Battle of Lone Pine
by shrapnel. The cricketer had been sent by a junior officer to investigate an outpost which was under fire, and was struck by an exploding shell. The shrapnel lodged into the back of his left shoulder and he also suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs. The injury was serious enough for him to be repatriated to Australia, he was promoted to captain during the journey, on 1 December.
Massie was Mentioned in Despatches on 28 January 1916 for his service in the Dardanelles, and awarded the French Croix de Guerre
. He was promoted major on 1 May, and appointed second in command
of the newly raised 33rd Battalion
, which he had previously been involved in training. The battalion departed Sydney, New South Wales on the transport Marathon on 4 May, and arrived at Devonport
on 9 July. The battalion was sent to France with the 3rd Division on 21 November.
Massie was Mentioned in Despatches a second time on 1 June 1917, for his actions prior to 9 April 1917. He was attached to the divisional HQ during May and June 1917. On a brief period of leave in England in August, and despite his previous injuries, he played in a cricket match at Lord's on a combined Australian and South African services side against a combined British Army and Navy side. The "Colonials" (as a report in The Times referred to them) won convincingly, with Massie taking 2/31. From October to December he was a student on a higher command course. Returning to France, he was again severely wounded on 3 February 1918, a training exercise behind the lines being interrupted by a solitary German bomb, the resulting shrapnel badly damaging his right foot. He received a further Mention in Despatches for his actions prior to 7 April 1918, this was gazetted
on 28 May 1918, and he then received the Distinguished Service Order
on 3 June 1918.
After Massie's initial recuperation he trained with the Machine Gun Corps
at Grantham
, passing the tests to command a machine gun battalion. He was attached to the Australian Corps School on 12 September, appointed commandant on 24 September, and promoted to lieutenant colonel on 21 October. He was demobilised on 16 August 1919. His combined injuries meant he never played competitive cricket again.
and returned to work with them in 1919. During the 1930s and 1940s he was Chairman of Directors for British American Tobacco's operations in Australia and also at W.D. & H.O. Wills
while also serving as Director of the Commercial Banking Company
. He also worked at the Ministry of Munitions to help out in World War II. From 1946 to 1951 he served as the Deputy Chairman of the British American Tobacco in London before retiring.
Crosse) in Washington DC on 20 September 1947. His father Hugh
had also been a cricketer and appeared in nine Tests for Australia. Massie's grandfather, on his mother's side, Thomas Allwright Dibbs
was an accomplished banker.
He died on 14 February 1966, at the age of 75, from cancer.
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...
(8 July 1890 – 14 February 1966) was an Australian 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...
er who played with New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
and represented them in the Sheffield Shield.
Massie also served in World War I as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
, seeing action at Gallipoli and on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France. Injuries sustained in the war ended his cricket career, but he had a successful business career, principally with British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
.
Early sporting achievements
Massie was a gifted sportsman, representing New South Wales at numerous sports. As a rugby union footballer he played in the position of second-rower for Sydney UniversitySydney University Football Club
Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863 , is the oldest club now playing rugby union in Australia, and as such is nicknamed "The Birthplace of Australian Rugby" or simply "The Birthplace".The club are the current NSWRU Premiers.The club was a member of the inaugural Sydney club competition...
while studying Civil Engineering and represented New South Wales four times. He was picked in the Australian rugby squad to tour New Zealand in 1913 but had to withdraw due to study commitments.
In 1913 he won the NSW Amateur Boxing Heavy Weight Championship and the following year was state champion in the 120 yard hurdles. He also excelled at rifle-shooting and rowing.
First-class cricketer
A tall left-arm fast bowler, Massie came close to playing Test cricket in 1914 when he was named in the squad to tour South Africa but the series did not go ahead. He had been playing regular first-class cricket for just two seasons but had proved to be a handful for Australian batsmen, taking 59 wickets at 18.66 in the 1912-13 summer and then 37 wickets at 16.32 in 1913-14.Massie's best performance in a match came in a Sheffield Shield encounter in 1912/13, with New South Wales taking on Victoria. His second innings figures of 7 for 110 gave him 11 wickets for the match and included the scalps of Warwick Armstrong
Warwick Armstrong
Warwick Windridge Armstrong was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921 and was undefeated, winning eight Tests and drawing two...
and Jack Ryder.
He was generally an ineffective batsman but did manage a half century against Western Australia in 1912 at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. New South Wales declared their second innings at 8/375 once he reached the milestone and went on to win the match.
World War I campaign
Massie, who enlisted in the Australian Imperial ForceFirst Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
on 17 August 1914, was commissioned 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...
in the 4th Battalion on 14 September, served with distinction during the war. His battalion embarked for Egypt in October, and 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 1 February 1915. He took part in Australia's campaign at Gallipoli and in just his second day in the conflict was fortunate to survive a suicidal advance towards the Turkish lines, resulting from orders that were misunderstood by his battalion, when his commanding officer was killed, Massie tried to recover his body. While fighting at Gallipoli he wore a scarlet rag on his right arm so that if he was shot by the Turkish marksmen it would likely be to the arm that stood out and not his left arm which he used for bowling.
Massie received slight wounds on 25 June, and 20 July, he was seriously injured on the night of 6–7 August 1915, during the Battle of Lone Pine
Battle of Lone Pine
The Battle of Lone Pine was a battle between Australian and Turkish forces that took place during the Gallipoli campaign from 6–10 August 1915. It was part of a diversion to draw attention from the main assaults of 6 August against the Sari Bair peaks of Chunuk Bair and Hill 971, which became...
by shrapnel. The cricketer had been sent by a junior officer to investigate an outpost which was under fire, and was struck by an exploding shell. The shrapnel lodged into the back of his left shoulder and he also suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs. The injury was serious enough for him to be repatriated to Australia, he was promoted to captain during the journey, on 1 December.
Massie was Mentioned in Despatches on 28 January 1916 for his service in the Dardanelles, and awarded the French 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...
. He was promoted major on 1 May, and appointed second in command
Second in Command
Second in Command is a 2006 action film directed by Simon Fellows, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. It was released direct-to-video in the United States, Belgium, and Germany on May 2, 2006. It has been rated R by the MPAA for violence and some language. The film was made in Bucharest, Romania.-Plot...
of the newly raised 33rd Battalion
33rd Battalion (Australia)
The 33rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War I as part of the 1st Australian Imperial Force, the battalion was formed in January 1916 as part of the 9th Brigade of the Australian 3rd Division during an expansion of the AIF...
, which he had previously been involved in training. The battalion departed Sydney, New South Wales on the transport Marathon on 4 May, and arrived at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
on 9 July. The battalion was sent to France with the 3rd Division on 21 November.
Massie was Mentioned in Despatches a second time on 1 June 1917, for his actions prior to 9 April 1917. He was attached to the divisional HQ during May and June 1917. On a brief period of leave in England in August, and despite his previous injuries, he played in a cricket match at Lord's on a combined Australian and South African services side against a combined British Army and Navy side. The "Colonials" (as a report in The Times referred to them) won convincingly, with Massie taking 2/31. From October to December he was a student on a higher command course. Returning to France, he was again severely wounded on 3 February 1918, a training exercise behind the lines being interrupted by a solitary German bomb, the resulting shrapnel badly damaging his right foot. He received a further Mention in Despatches for his actions prior to 7 April 1918, this was gazetted
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...
on 28 May 1918, and he then received 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...
on 3 June 1918.
After Massie's initial recuperation he trained with the Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
at Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
, passing the tests to command a machine gun battalion. He was attached to the Australian Corps School on 12 September, appointed commandant on 24 September, and promoted to lieutenant colonel on 21 October. He was demobilised on 16 August 1919. His combined injuries meant he never played competitive cricket again.
Business career
Before the war Massie had been employed by British American TobaccoBritish American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
and returned to work with them in 1919. During the 1930s and 1940s he was Chairman of Directors for British American Tobacco's operations in Australia and also at W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills
W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was one of the founding companies of Imperial Tobacco.-History:...
while also serving as Director of the Commercial Banking Company
National Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
. He also worked at the Ministry of Munitions to help out in World War II. From 1946 to 1951 he served as the Deputy Chairman of the British American Tobacco in London before retiring.
Personal life
Massie was married twice, his first marriage being to Phyllis Wood Lang at Holy Trinity Brompton, London, on 3 June 1919. They had a son named John who was killed in action during World War II, Phyllis died soon after. Massie remarried to a widow, Elizabeth Emily Squire (néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Crosse) in Washington DC on 20 September 1947. His father Hugh
Hugh Massie
Hugh Hamon Massie was a cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia.Massie's role in the 1882 Ashes Test at The Oval was almost as pivotal in deciding the result as Fred Spofforth's celebrated performance with the ball...
had also been a cricketer and appeared in nine Tests for Australia. Massie's grandfather, on his mother's side, Thomas Allwright Dibbs
Thomas Allwright Dibbs
Thomas Allwright Dibbs was an Australian banker.Dibbs was born in George Street, Sydney, the second son of Captain John Dibbs of St Andrews, Scotland, and brother of New South Wales Premier Sir George Dibbs. His father died when he was a boy, and at the age of 14 Dibbs entered the service of the...
was an accomplished banker.
He died on 14 February 1966, at the age of 75, from cancer.