Hugh Steele Bompas (19 December 1881 – 19 July 1944) was an English first-class cricketer, barrister, First World War aviator and civil servant.

Hugh Bompas
Personal information
Full name
Hugh Steele Bompas
Born9 December 1881
Hampstead, Middlesex, England
Died19 July 1944(1944-07-19) (aged 62)
Chelsea, London, England
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1901–1903Cambridge University
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 7
Runs scored 35
Batting average 3.88
100s/50s –/–
Top score 15
Catches/stumpings 5/4
Source: Cricinfo, 11 September 2020

The son of Henry Bompas, a County Court judge, he was born at Hampstead in December 1881. He was educated at Westminster School, before going up to Pembroke College, Cambridge.[1] While studying at Cambridge, Bompas played first-class cricket. He made his first-class debut for the personal XI of A. J. Webbe against Cambridge University in 1901. In that same season he played for Cambridge University against the touring South Africans, in addition to playing twice for London County against the Marylebone Cricket Club and Derbyshire. Having not played first-class cricket in 1902, he played three times for Cambridge University in 1903.[2] Despite scoring 109 and 59 in his freshman match of 1901,[3] Bompas was unable to carry that form into first-class cricket and scored just 35 runs from 11 batting innings', though as a wicket-keeper he did take 5 catches and make 4 stumpings.[4]

A student of the Inner Temple, he was called to the bar to practice as a barrister in 1904.[1] After practicing on the South Eastern Circuit, Bompas enlisted during the First World War in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) as a flight sub-lieutenant in May 1915.[5] He was promoted to flight lieutenant in June 1916,[6] with the RNAS merging with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force in April 1918. In September 1918, Bompas held the rank of captain which he held until the end of the war and the relinquishment of his commission in April 1919.[7][8] Following the war, he chose not to return to practice as a barrister and instead became a civil servant with the Ministry of Labour from 1919 to 1925 and the Secretary for Education to the Dental Board from 1925.[1] He died at Chelsea in July 1944.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Venn, John (2011). Alumni Cantabrigienses. Vol. 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 314.
  2. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Hugh Bompas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Wisden - Obituaries, 1944". ESPNcricinfo. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  4. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Hugh Bompas". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  5. ^ "No. 29304". The London Gazette. 21 September 1915. p. 9323.
  6. ^ "No. 29687". The London Gazette. 28 July 1916. p. 7481.
  7. ^ "No. 31025". The London Gazette. 22 November 1918. p. 13740.
  8. ^ "No. 31327". The London Gazette. 6 May 1919. p. 5656.

External links edit