Eric Elstob

Eric Bramley Elstob OBE (2 August 1885 – 15 May 1949) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer.

The son of John George Elstob and Frances Alice Elstob, he was born at Brentford in August 1885. He was educated at Marlborough College.[1] Elstob's career with the Royal Navy began as a clerk at The Admiralty, with him promoted to assistant paymaster in August 1906.[2] He made his debut in first-class cricket for the Royal Navy against the British Army cricket team at Lord's in 1913.[3] He served with the navy during the First World War and was promoted to the rank of paymaster commander in August 1918.[4] He was made an OBE in the 1919 Birthday Honours for services rendered while serving as secretary to Rear-Admiral Cecil Dampier.[5]

Elstob later made a second and final first-class appearance for the Royal Navy against the British Army at Lord's in 1923.[3] He returned to Marlborough College in 1933, alongside two other Old Marlburians who had served on the recently scrapped HMS Marlborough, where he presented the ship's bell to the college.[6] He held the rank of paymaster commander by 1935, with promotion to the rank of paymaster captain coming in July of the same year.[7] Elstob served in the first year of the Second World War, before being placed on the retired list in August 1940.[8] He died at Hawkhurst in May 1949. His brother Wilfrith was posthumously the Victoria Cross during the First World War.