George Molineux
George King Molineux (1887β1915) was an English amateur cricketer who represented Oxford University Cricket Club and the Gentlemen. His career in serious Cricket ended in 1909 once he joined the Army, and he was killed during a German offensive at the Second Battle of Ypres.[1]
Early life and cricket
George King Molineux was the son of Harold Parminter and Rosa Molineux and was born on 15 April 1887 at Eastbourne. He was educated at Winchester College and Magdalen College, Oxford.[2] Molineux was a slow bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman . He made two appearances for Oxford University in the 1907 season, and the following summer played two matches against his University for the Gentlemen. In his four first-class matches he took 11 first-class wickets at an average of 28. His best bowling was four wickets for 62 for the Gentlemen against Oxford at Easbourne.[3][4] In this match he also produced his best batting; coming in at number 11 in the Gentlemen's first innings he scored 78 not out and shared a partnership of 128 for the last wicket with HDG Leveson-Gower.[5]
Army
In 1909 Molineux was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. In 1914 he was appointed an ADC to Lord Hardinge, Viceroy of India, but in November of that year he resigned this position to rejoin his battalion in France. In May, 1915 he was wounded during a German offensive at Frezenberg Ridge on the Ypres Salient. When his battalion was forced to abandon their position and retreat Molineux was lying unconscious in the trench and had to be left behind. There is no known burial for George King Molineux and he is commemorated on panels 8 and 12 of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.[6]
References
- "Cricketers who died in World War 1 β Part 4 of 5". Cricket Country. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- "Winchester College at War, George King Molineux, retrieved July, 2015".
- "George King Molineux at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
- Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn and Peter Wynne-Thomas, Who's Who of Cricketers (London, 1984), p. 710
- "Gentlemen vs Oxford University, 2ndβ4th July, 1908 at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
- "Winchester College at War, George King Molineux, retrieved July 2015".