Albert George Gillespie (7 June 1912 – 7 August 1938) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

first-class cricketer and

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

officer. Gillespie was born in the

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

suburb of Rose Park. He studied medicine in Adelaide and

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, before moving to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1937 to further his studies. With the looming threat of Nazism across Europe, Gillespie cut short his studies to enlist in the

, joining as an acting

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...

in February 1937. He played

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

in August of the same year for a

Combined Services cricket team The Combined Services cricket team represents the British Armed Forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lo ...

against the touring

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. Batting twice during the match, he scored a single run in the Combined Services first-innings before being dismissed by Lindsay Weir, while in their second-innings he was dismissed by

Jack Cowie John Cowie (30 March 1912 – 3 June 1994) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in nine Tests from 1937 to 1949. His Test opportunities were restricted by New Zealand's limited programme, and his cricket career was interrupted by World War I ...

for 10 runs. He also bowled fifteen overs across the match, taking the wicket of Martin Donnelly in the New Zealanders first-innings. He was confirmed in the rank of pilot officer in November 1937. Gillespie was one of five fatalities when the Handley Harrow he was aboard crashed in heavy fog and rain during exercises near

Great Barton Great Barton is a large village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, about East of Bury St Edmunds on the A143.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – S ...

during the early hours of August 7, 1938. He was subsequently buried at

St Nicholas' Church, Feltwell St Nicholas Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Feltwell, Norfolk, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conser ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Albert 1912 births 1938 deaths Cricketers from Adelaide University of Adelaide alumni University of Melbourne alumni Australian expatriate sportspeople in England Royal Air Force officers Australian cricketers Combined Services cricketers Accidental deaths in England Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1938