Arthur Murray Duthie (12 June 1881 – 3 June 1973) was an English first-class

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er and British Army officer. A career officer in the Royal Artillery, his military service encompassed both the Second Boer War and the First World War, being decorated with the Distinguished Service Order in the latter conflict. As a cricketer, he made one appearance in first-class cricket for

Hampshire County Cricket Club Hampshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Hampshire. Hampshire teams formed by earlier organisations, principal ...

Life and military career

The son of the botanist John Firminger Duthie, he was born in British India at

Saharanpur Saharanpur is a city and a municipal corporation in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur district. Saharanpur city's name was given after the Saint Shah Haroon Chishti. Saharanpur is declared as on ...

in June 1881. He was educated in England at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

, before proceeding to the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...

. From there, he graduated as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

into the Royal Artillery in November 1899. Shortly after graduating, he was seconded for service in the Second Boer War with the Imperial Yeomanry. He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 February 1901, while in South Africa, and returned to service with the Royal Artillery in December 1902. Promotion to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

followed in April 1908. Duthie later made a single appearance in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Derbyshire at Southampton in the

1911 County Championship The 1911 County Championship was the twenty-second officially organised running of the County Championship, and ran from 4 May to 5 September 1911. Warwickshire County Cricket Club won their first championship title. Somerset finished bottom of t ...

. Playing as a bowler in the Hampshire side, he took 5 wickets in the match. Duthie served in the First World War and was promoted

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in October 1914. He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in January 1916, while the following month he was decorated by France with the Legion of Honour, ''Chevalier'' class. He was appointed to the

staff Staff may refer to: Pole * Staff, a weapon used in stick-fighting ** Quarterstaff, a European pole weapon * Staff of office, a pole that indicates a position * Staff (railway signalling), a token authorizing a locomotive driver to use a particula ...

in January 1916, where he held the position of a deputy-assistant adjutant-general until June 1916. In March 1917, he was made an acting

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

whilst commanding a brigade of artillery, relinquishing the rank the following month. Shortly after the conclusion of the war, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the

1919 New Year Honours The 1919 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in ''The London Gazette'' and ''The Times'' in Jan ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 1921, at which point he was serving in British India at the Artillery School at Quetta. Following four years completion as a regimental lieutenant colonel in June 1925, Duthie was placed on the half-pay list. He was promoted to colonel in June 1927, with seniority antedated to June 1925, and was appointed commanding officer of the Lowland Division the following year, before retiring in May 1931. In retirement, Duthie lived in Chideock, Dorset. He was known there for his generosity to the village's working men. He died there in June 1973. He had been married in 1917 to Mary Frances Yseult de Poher de la Poer, daughter of

Edmond de la Poer, 1st Count de la Poer Edmond James de Poher de la Poer, 1st Count de la Poer (6 March 1841 – 30 August 1915), known as Edmond James Power until 1863, and 18th Baron le Power and Coroghmore from 1851 to 1864, was an Irish Liberal politician. Family De la Poer was ...

.Major A. M. Duthie to Miss de la Poer. '' The Gentlewoman''. 14 July 1917. p. 39

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duthie, Arthur 1881 births 1973 deaths People from Saharanpur People educated at Marlborough College Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Imperial Yeomanry officers English cricketers Hampshire cricketers British Army personnel of World War I Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Knights of the Legion of Honour Officers of the Order of the British Empire British people in colonial India