George Fenton (cricketer)

George Geoffrey James Fenton (2 July 1909 – 26 May 1944) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

George Fenton
Personal information
Full name
George Geoffrey James Fenton
Born2 July 1909
Derby, Derbyshire, England
Died26 May 1944(1944-05-26) (aged 34)
Palena, Abruzzo, Italy
BattingUnknown
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 1
Runs scored 52
Batting average
100s/50s –/–
Top score 41*
Catches/stumpings –/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 December 2021

The son of Lieutenant Colonel George Cecil Verner Fenton, he was born at Derby in July 1909.[1] After completing his education, he went up to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.[2] He graduated from Sandhurst into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant in January 1930,[3] with promotion to lieutenant following in January 1933.[4] While serving in British India, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for Viceroy's XI against the Roshanara Club at Delhi in February 1933.[5] He batted twice in the match, ending both of the Viceroy's XI innings' unbeaten with scores of 11 and 41.[6] In the Royal Artillery, he was promoted to captain in August 1938 and was made an adjutant in June 1939.[7][8] In January 1939, Fenton married in the Hampshire village of Milford on Sea.[1] Fenton served in the Second World War, during which he was given command of the 85th Mountain Battery in 1944 during the Italian campaign. He was killed in action on 26 May 1944 while the 85th was in the midst of attacking the German fortifications of the Gustav Line near the Sangro River at Palena. Fenton was buried at the Sangro River War Cemetery.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b People In The News. Middlesex County Times. 14 January 1939. p. 3
  2. ^ a b McCrery, Nigel (2011). The Coming Storm: Test and First-Class Cricketers Killed in World War Two. Vol. 2. Pen and Sword. pp. 455–456. ISBN 978-1526706980.
  3. ^ "No. 33575". The London Gazette. 31 January 1930. p. 651.
  4. ^ "No. 33907". The London Gazette. 31 January 1933. p. 672.
  5. ^ "First-Class Matches played by George Fenton". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Roshanara Club v Viceroy's XI, 1932/33". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  7. ^ "No. 34538". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 August 1938. p. 5029.
  8. ^ "No. 34644". The London Gazette. 11 July 1939. p. 4751.

External links edit