| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David James Falshaw Watson | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 November 1919 St Pancras, London, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 3 October 1943(1943-10-03) (aged 23) near New Gloucester, Maine, United States | ||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1939 | Oxford University | ||||||||||||||
| 1939 | Minor Counties | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Source: Cricinfo, 1 December 2013 | |||||||||||||||
David James Falshaw Watson (18 November 1919 – 3 October 1943) was an English cricketer – a right-handed batsman. He was born at St Pancras, London.
Educated at Sedbergh School, Watson later studied at the University of Oxford. Watson made his first-class debut in unusual circumstances during a match between Oxford University and a combined Minor counties team in 1939. Having bowled nine overs in Oxford University's first-innings, the Minor Counties Francis Wilkinson was injured and took no further part in the match. The spectating Watson was allowed by the agreement of Oxford University to take to the field for the Minor Counties as a substitute player. Batting in the Minor Counties first-innings, Watson scored 33 runs before he was dismissed by Michael Farebrother, while in their second-innings he was dismissed by the same bowler for 35 runs.
Following this match he made a second first-class appearance, this time for Oxford University against Leicestershire. In a match which ended as a draw he was dismissed for 7 runs in the university's first-innings by Vic Jackson, while in their second-innings he remained unbeaten with 8 runs.
Military career and death
Watson served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, reaching the rank of sub-lieutenant by 1943. Serving as part of the Fleet Air Arm stationed at HMS Saker in the United States, Watson was undertaking a training flight on 3 October 1943 with a F4U Corsair when his plane was involved in a mid-air collision with fellow Fleet Air Arm pilot and fighter ace Alfred Jack Sewell close to the Maine town of New Gloucester, killing both pilots. Watson was buried with full military honours at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard cemetery.
References
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by David Watson". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- "Oxford University v Minor Counties, 1939". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- "Oxford University v Leicestershire, 1939". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- ^ "CWGC - Casualty Details". www.cwgc.org. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
- Fellers, Ellie (27 May 2013). "British pilots who died in New Gloucester crash to be memorialized". Sun Journal. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
External links
- David Watson at ESPNcricinfo
- David Watson at CricketArchive
- 1919 births
- 1943 deaths
- Cricketers from the London Borough of Camden
- People from St Pancras, London
- People educated at Sedbergh School
- Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
- English cricketers
- Minor Counties cricketers
- Oxford University cricketers
- Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
- Fleet Air Arm aviators
- Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II
- Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
- Cricketers from Yorkshire
- Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II
- Royal Navy officers of World War II
- Military personnel from the London Borough of Camden
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943