S&B CC Roll of Honour

World War One

Members, or former members, of Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club who lost their lives in WWI.

John Edward Andrews (scorer)
Fred Preston Beckett (captain)
Joseph Walton Hedley
Douglas Gatecliff Mathwin (treasurer)
R. Platt
John Vernon White

John Edward Andrews
Died: 07/09/1917

Rank: Private
Service: No: 285360
Regiment: Welsh Regiment
Unit: 15th Battalion
Last Known Address: 37 Everton Road, Southport
Burial Place: Dozinghem Military Cemetery

Biography: John was the son of George and Ruth Andrews, late of Manchester and the husband of Daisy McClure Andrews. John was killed in action on the battlefield surrounding Ypres. Before the war he was the scorer for Birkdale Cricket Club.

Fred Preston Beckett
Died: 19/10/1916

Rank: Company Sergeant Major
Service: No:
Regiment: King’s Liverpool Regiment
Unit: 17th Battalion
Last Known Address:
Burial Place: Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France

Biography: According to the Southport Visiter 26/10/1916, Fred enlisted in the ‘Pals’ shortly after was broke out and had been at the front for a year before he died. He had been captain of Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club for several seasons.

Joseph Walton Hedley
Died: 13/09/1916

Rank: Captain
Service: No:
Regiment: (Territorial) Lancashire Fusiliers
Unit: 2/5th Battalion
Last Known Address: 32 Hawkshead Street
Burial Place: Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe, France

Biography: Joseph was the son of the late Rev. Matthew Hedley. A fortnight before his death Joseph was badly wounded and taken to one of the field hospitals. Despite undergoing an operation, he succumbed to his injuries. The Last Post memorial letter was sent to his address

Douglas Gatecliff Mathwin
Died: 09/05/1915

Rank: Lietenant
Service: No:
Regiment: King’s Liverpool Regiment
Unit: 1/9th Battalion
Last Known Address:
Burial Place: Le Touret Memorial, France

Biography: Before the war Douglas was a chartered accountant in Liverpool, and acted as the treasurer for the Birkdale and Southport Cricket Club. He was killed in action near Richebourg, Aubers Ridge.

John Vernon White
Died: 01/07/1916

Rank: Captain
Service: No:
Regiment: Manchester Regiment
Unit: 20th Battalion
Last Known Address: 44 Park Road, Southport
Burial Place: Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz, France. (Also commemorated on Holy Trinity Church War Memorial)

Biography:

Born in Shaw, Lancashire, in 1891, the son of Dr John Hall White and his wife Mary Louise. He worked for Williams Deacon’s Bank at its Formby and Southport branches.

The Southport Visiter reported on 8th July 1916 that Mrs White, 44 Park Road received news from the War Office that her elder son Captain J Vernon White was killed in action in France on 1st July. Educated at Denstone College, Capt. White was a member of the Olympic and Waterloo Rugby Football Clubs, also of Southport Cricket Club. Immediately after war broke out he joined the Manchester ‘Pals’ and got his commission in November 1914, obtaining his captaincy a month after he went to the front in December 1915.

He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. He was 24 years old. He was buried alongside 24 other non-commissioned officers from the Manchester Regiment who perished on the same day.

John White is commemorated on a bank war memorial at Hardman Boulevard office, Manchester.

World War Two

Members, or former members, of Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club who lost their lives in WWII

ROYAL ARTILLERY

Ian Gordon McCondach

FLEET AIR ARM

Reginald Eric Lord – also a member of Southport RUFC

THE ARMY

Patrick N. Harvey
H.E. Ince
W. D .McEwan

ROYAL AIR FORCE.

R. Blakeley
Henry Noel Trevor Medrington
J .E. Rogers
G. Whelan
Geoffrey Norman Yates

Royal Artillery

Ian Gordan McCondach
Died: 20/05/1944 (Italy)

Rank: Lieutenant
Service: No: 186276
Regiment: Royal Armoured Corps
Unit: Reconnaissance Corps
Last Known Address: Southport
Burial Place: Beach Head War Cemetery, Anzio, Citta Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy

Biography:

Reginald Eric Lord
Died: 28/05/1944
Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (Air)
Regiment: RN Volunteer Reserve
Unit: HMS Nabob, a Ruler Class escort aircraft carrier.
Burial place: Duke Street Cemetery.

Biography: Son of Walter and Sally Lord, of Southport. Ex.KGV (Nabob was later torpedoed on 22 August 1944, while returning from a strike against the German battleship Tirpitz and sustained heavy damage)

Army

Patrick N Harvey
Died: 06/09/1944

Rank: Major
Service: No: 140370
Regiment: Royal Army Service Corps
Unit:
Last Known Address:
Burial Place: Ancona, Provincia di Ancona, Marche, Italy

Biography:

Howard Richard Ince

Death: 13/08/1942

Rank: Supply Officer

Service No: 197630

Regiment: Merchant Navy

Unit: Melbourne Star

Last Known Address:

Burial Place: The Tower Hill Memorial Part VIII

Bio:

Royal Air Force

Henry Noel Trevor Medrington
Died: 17/12/1944

Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Service: No: 153446
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit: 57 Squadron
Last Known Address:
Burial Place: Runnymede Memorial, Surrey

Biography:Henry was the son of Arthur Charles Percy and Frances Elsie Medrington, of Birkdale, Lancashire.

John Arthur Rogers

died: 07/08/1943

Rank: Flying officer

service No: 120595

Regiment: RAF Voluntary Reserve

unit: 620 squadron

last known address :

burial place: Nantes, Pont du cens communal cemetery, France. Plot L, Row C, grave 18

Bio:

Geoffrey Norman Yates
Died: 29/11/1942

Rank: Aircraftman 2nd Class
Service: No: 1016831
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit: 36 Squadron
Last Known Address: Southport
Burial Place: Sai Wan War Cemetery, China

Biography: Geoffrey was the son of James and Marian Yates, of Southport, Lancashire.