Alan Pearsall
Alan Louden Pearsall (21 May 1915 – 8 March 1944) was an Australian sportsman who played first-class cricket for Tasmania and Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with South Melbourne.
Alan Pearsall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Alan Louden Pearsall 21 May 1915 Hobart, Tasmania | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 8 March 1944 (aged 28) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cricket information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1933/34–1938/39 | Tasmania | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 31 December 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Family
The son of Benjamin James Pearsall (1880-1951),[1][2] and Olive Mabel Pearsall, née Marsden, Alan Louden Pearsall was born at the Edinburgh Hospital, MacQuarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania on 21 May 1915.[3]
He married Dorothy Eva Bumford on 15 March 1941.[4]
Cricket
Pearsall made seven first-class appearances for Tasmania during the 1930s, scoring a total of 300 runs at 23.07 and taking 6 wickets.
He made his debut in a match against an Australian XI team and dismissed Bill Brown for 96.[7] Ian Johnson and Keith Miller are other Test players whose wicket he took in his career.
He opened the batting against Victoria at Launceston in 1935/36 and made the only half century of his career, an innings of 56.[8]
Football
Pearsall played football for Lefroy in Tasmania from 1933[9] until 1940.[10]
When Pearsall moved to Victoria to do his pilot training he joined South Melbourne and played two VFL games for the club in 1941.[11]
Military service
In World War II, Pearsall served as a Flying Officer with the RAAF.
Death
He died, on active service, on 8 March 1944, when his plane came down into the English Channel.
- "Alan Pearsall enlisted in the RAAF when war broke out and trained as a pilot. He was transferred to the RAF and took part in the Battle of Britain as a fighter pilot. On the 8th March 1944 he was returning from a photographic sortie north-east of Calais, France when he radioed to say that his engine on his Hurricane had failed.
On instruction he bailed out over the English Channel at around 2000 feet. Aircraft were immediately despatched to search, but no accurate fix was obtained on Pearsall’s position. Air Sea Rescue was delayed due to gale force winds, and although a search continued for two days no trace of Pearsall or his plane was ever found."[12]
- "Alan Pearsall enlisted in the RAAF when war broke out and trained as a pilot. He was transferred to the RAF and took part in the Battle of Britain as a fighter pilot. On the 8th March 1944 he was returning from a photographic sortie north-east of Calais, France when he radioed to say that his engine on his Hurricane had failed.
See also
Footnotes
- 'Square Leg', "Noted Cricketers: Mr. B.J. Pearsall", The Huon Times, (Friday, 14 November 1924), p.
- Mr. B.J. Pearsall Dies Aged 71, The Mercury, (Friday, 19 January 1951), p.5; Tribute to Character of Mr. B.J. Pearsall Paid at Funeral, The Mercury, (Saturday, 20 January 1951), p.8.
- Births: Pearsall, The Mercury, (Saturday, 22 May 1915), p.1.
- Wedding at St. Stephen's: Pearsall—Bumford, The Mercury, (Monday, 17 March 1941), p.4; Births: Pearsall, The Mercury, (Friday, 30 January 1942), p.6.
- Athlete's Death on Active Service, The Mercury, (Saturday, 28 July 1945), p.5.
- Boys Who Also Made Centuries, The Mercury, (Thursday, 27 March 1952), p.23.
- "Tasmania v Australian XI 1933/34". CricketArchive.
- "Tasmania v Victoria 1935/36". CricketArchive.
- "New Town Wins Stirring Struggle by 2 Points". Voice. Vol. 6, no. 35. Tasmania, Australia. 2 September 1933. p. 4.
- Football: Permit may be Cancelled, The Examiner, (Tuesday, 29 June 1941), p.6.
- South Footballer Missing, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 16 March 1944) p.1.
- Smith, Rick, Lest We Forget Tasmania’s Cricketing Soldiers, (2007), at crickettas.com.au.
References
- World War Two Service Record: Flying Officer Alan Louden Pearsall (408266), National Archives of Australia.
- Roll of Honour: Flying Officer Alan Louden Pearsall (408266), Australian War Memorial.
- RAAF Casualty List: Overseas: Previously Reported Missing, Now Presumed Dead: Pearsall, A.L. FO, Sandy Bay (T), The Argus, (Monday, 12 March 1945), p.7.
- Main, J. & Allen, D., "Pearsall, Alan", pp. 311–314 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-74095-010-0
External links
- Allan (sic) Pearsall's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Allan (sic) Pearsall's profile at AustralianFootball.com
- Alan Pearsall at ESPNcricinfo