Wikipedia

Henry Persse

For the Irish writer, see Henry Stratford Persse.

Henry Wilfred Persse MC & Bar (19 September 1885 — 28 June 1918) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in the British Army.

Henry Persse
Personal information
Full name
Henry Wilfred Persse
Born(1885-09-19)19 September 1885
Portswood, Hampshire, England
Died28 June 1918(1918-06-28) (aged 32)
near Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais, France
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1905–1909Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 51
Runs scored 889
Batting average 11.69
100s/50s –/3
Top score 71
Balls bowled 6,993
Wickets 127
Bowling average 30.02
5 wickets in innings 3
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling 6/64
Catches/stumpings 40/–
Source: Cricinfo, 20 February 2010

The son of the soldier Edward Persse and his wife, Margaret, he was born in the Southampton suburb of Portswood in September 1885.[1] Persse made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire County Cricket Club against Surrey at The Oval in the 1905 County Championship, with him making thirteen first-class appearances that season.[2] He took 39 wickets with his right-arm fast bowling in 1905, at an average of 34.25; amongst these was his maiden five wicket haul of 5 for 39 against Northamptonshire.[3][4] He did not feature for Hampshire in 1906, but returned to play in 1907, when he had his most successful season. In 22 matches,[2] he took 60 wickets at an average of 23.20; he took two five wicket hauls, with career-best figures of 6 for 64 against Leicestershire.[3][4] In addition to performing well with the ball, he also scored 571 runs at a batting average of 16.79, with three half centuries.[5] Over the next two years, Persse featured less for Hampshire, making ten and six appearances respectively in 1908 and 1909.[2] He was less effective with the ball, taking 18 wickets at an average of 39.38 in 1908 and 10 wickets at an average of 37.60 in 1909.[3] In total, he made 51 first-class appearances for Hampshire.[2] In these, he took 127 wickets at an average of 30.02,[6] whilst with the bat, he scored 889 runs at an average of 11.69.[7]

Persse's first-class career finished in 1909, with the reason given being he was travelling abroad.[8] He went to Siam, where he worked for the Siam Forest Company.[9] Persse later returned to England to serve in the First World War, with him being commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers as a probationary second lieutenant in August 1914.[10] He was confirmed in that rank in March 1915,[11] with promotion to lieutenant following in May 1915.[12] Persse was awarded the Military Cross (MC) in January 1916,[13] with a bar being added to his MC in June 1917.[14] Between his MC awards, he had been made a temporary captain in August 1916,[15] with him gaining the full rank in September of the same year.[16] He was made an acting major in April 1917, while serving at headquarters.[17] Persse was twice wounded in action during the war, with his second wounding, which occurred on the Western Front near Saint-Omer on 28 June 1918, proving to be fatal.[1] His brother, Edward, was killed in action four months later.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c McCrery, Nigel (2017). Final Wicket: Test and First Class Cricketers Killed in the Great War. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. pp. 567–8. ISBN 9781473864191.
  2. ^ a b c d "First-Class Matches played by Henry Persse". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Henry Persse". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b "First-Class Bowling Against Each Opponent Henry Persse". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  5. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Henry Persse". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  6. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Henry Persse". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  7. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Henry Persse". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  8. ^ Renshaw, Andrew (2014). Wisden on the Great War: The Lives of Cricket's Fallen 1914-1918. London: A & C Black. p. 431. ISBN 9781408832356.
  9. ^ "The War Memorial unveiled at the British Club in Bangkok". www.richardbarrow.com. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  10. ^ "No. 29080". The London Gazette. 23 February 1915. p. 1845.
  11. ^ "No. 29116". The London Gazette. 30 March 1915. p. 3118.
  12. ^ "No. 29216". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 1915. p. 6562.
  13. ^ "No. 29483". The London Gazette. 11 January 1916. p. 585.
  14. ^ "No. 30135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1917. pp. 5982–5983.
  15. ^ "No. 29689". The London Gazette. 1 August 1916. p. 7569.
  16. ^ "No. 29925". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 January 1917. p. 1133.
  17. ^ "No. 30106". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1917. p. 5403.

External links edit

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