TEST PLAYERS IN WARTIME

Cue (NZERS), Issue 1, 15 June 1944, Page 2

TEST PLAYERS IN WARTIME

Stars of the 1938 England-Australia cricket test series have been well to the fore in the service of the British Commonwealth during the present war and three players, Headley Verity and Kenneth Farnes, England, and C.W. Walker, Australia, have played their last test match.

Of the 16 players of Australia’s touring team to England In 1938, 13 joined the forces, one was rejected for the AIF and two are engaged on essential work. D.G. Bradman, LOB. Fleet-wood-Smith, S. Barnes and F. Fingleton have been honourably discharged > owing . to health reasons. Reported missing on air operations over > Germany in December, 1943, and now" presumed to have lost his life, is Flying Officer C.W. Walker, while others of the team who joined the Air Force were M.G. Waite, W.A. Browne and fast bowler, E. McCormick. The Army numbers in its ranks Ben Barnetta prisoner in Japanese handsS.J. McCabe, Lindsay Hassett, E.S. White and Frank Ward. J. Badcock was turned down for the AIF and the final two to be accounted for, W.J. O’Reilly and A.J. Chipperfield, are

engaged on essential work. ENGLAND’S PLAYERS, Of the English players taking part in that series, Verity and Farnes were both in the Army which has also claimed the services of Capt. Peter Smith, W. Bowes (prisoner), Denis Compton, who, with Joe Hardstaff, is now m India, Freddy Browne (taken prisoner in Libya), while Len Hutton has been discharged owing to health reasons.. In the Air Force are R.W.V. Robins, W.R. Hammond, who captained the side, L.E.G. Ames and W. Edrich. Eddie Paynter, T.B. Mitchell and W. Voce are on work of national importance. . Of other cricket personalities, it is of interest to record that Herbert Sutcliffe, who held the rank of captain, has been discharged from the army owing to failing health, while the former test captain, G. 0.8. Allen, holds the rank of major in the army.