FitzAlan George Drayson (10 January 1888 — 16 April 1964) 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 an officer of the British Army. The son of Alfred FitzAlan Howard Drayson, he was born at Rochester in January 1888. He was educated at Christ's Hospital, before attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He graduated from there into the Border Regiment 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 ...

in October 1906, with promotion to lieutenant following in April 1912. Drayson served in the First World War, during which he seconded for service in the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

with the Lahore Signal Company and was

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

in February 1915. He was promoted 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 ...

whilst seconded with the Lahore Signal Company in April 1915, and was awarded the Military Cross in the following month, for gallantry and devotion to duty during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle on 11–12 March 1915, during which he kept up communications while under heavy fire. Serving in British India in the later stages of the war, he made two appearances in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Hindus and the Parsees in September 1918 at

Poona Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

in the Bombay Quadrangular. He scored 65 runs in his two matches, with a highest score of 28. He had served in

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

prior to the war, playing a minor match for Burma against the Ceylon Europeans in 1912. He scored 137 runs in the Burmese first innings, sharing in a large partnership with Frank Garnett who made 87. Following the war, Drayson served in the Third Anglo-Afghan War and was mentioned in dispatches for distinguished service. He was made a temporary

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 ...

in June 1919, and was mentioned in dispatches for his services with the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

during the Waziristan campaign of 1921–24. In May 1924, he was promoted to

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 ...

, prior to relinquishing his temporary appointment to lieutenant colonel in August 1925. Toward the end of the 1920s, he was an instructor at the School of Signals. In March 1930, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, while in October of the same year he was appointed a chief signal officer in India, an appointment he vacated the following year. After completing four years as a regimental lieutenant colonel, he was placed on the half-pay list in March 1934. Drayson ceased to be employed in June 1935, at which point he was granted the honorary rank of brigadier. However, in September 1935 he was reappointed to the establishment as a colonel to be chief signal officer of British forces in Egypt, before retiring in August 1939. Drayson returned to service shortly after his retirement when the Second World War began, being appointed chief signal officer for

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

. Following the Fall of France, he was appointed chief signal officer for Northern Command. He was made a CBE in the

1940 Birthday Honours The 1940 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, and were ...

, before retiring from active service in November 1944, once again being granted the honorary rank of brigadier. Drayson died at Teignmouth in April 1964.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drayson, FitzAlan 1888 births 1964 deaths Sportspeople from Rochester, Kent People educated at Christ's Hospital Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Border Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Military Cross English cricketers Europeans cricketers Royal Corps of Signals officers British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Afghan War British military personnel of the Waziristan Campaign British Army personnel of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire British Army brigadiers Military personnel from Kent