Arthur Stanley-Clarke

Arthur Christopher Lancelot Stanley-Clarke (30 June 1886 – 8 January 1983) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. After attending Winchester College and the University of Oxford, Stanley-Clarke enlisted with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in August 1909. In a military career which lasted until 1944, he fought in both the First World War and the Second World War. He was highly decorated, being awarded the Distinguished Service Order, "Legion d'Honneur", "Croix de Guerre" and the Order of Polonia Restituta. He also played first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team.
Early life and military career.
Stanley-Clarke was born at Brighton and educated at Winchester College, before going up to the University of Oxford. He was commissioned into the British Army as a second lieutenant on the unattached list in June 1906, before joining the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in August 1909. He made appearance in minor counties cricket for Dorset in the 1909 Minor Counties Championship. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in June 1910. Stanley-Clarke served during the First World War, in the early stages of which he was promoted to the rank of captain in November 1914. He was wounded in action while in the trenches near Chamigny on the Western Front. He was promoted to the temporary rank of major in March 1916, while in December of the same year he was made an acting lieutenant colonel while commanding a battalion. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 1918 New Year Honours, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when leading a counter-attack. When he left his battalion in 1918, he was awarded the "Legion d'Honneur" and the "Croix de Guerre" by France.
Inter-war military career.
He was seconded in February 1922 to serve as an officer in charge of a contingent of gentlemen cadets at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was promoted to the full rank of major in October 1923. In that same year he made his debut in first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team against Oxford University at Oxford in 1923. He made five appearances in first-class cricket for the Army in 1923–24, scoring 262 runs at an average of 37.42, with a high score of 66. While stationed at Curragh in Ireland in 1930, Stanley-Clarke met his future wife Olive Carroll-Leahy, with the couple marrying in June 1931. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in April 1931, at which point he relinquished his position as the chief instructor of the small arms school at Hythe. By 1934, Stanley-Clarke had transferred to the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was made a brevet colonel in October 1934, with him becoming the commandant and chief instructor of the small arms school at Netheravon on Salisbury Plain. He was promoted to the full rank of colonel in April 1935, with seniority antedated to October 1934. He became the commander of the 154th (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) in November 1937, during the command of which he was granted the temporary rank of brigadier.
World War II and later life.
Stanley-Clarke commanded the 154th (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) during the Battle of France and subsequent Dunkirk evacuation. He was made a CBE in October 1940, while in June 1941 he was made an acting major-general. In December 1943, he was made a Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the Polish government-in-exile. He retired from active service in June 1944, at which he was granted the honorary rank of brigadier. In retirement he lived with his wife at Earlscliffe House in Howth near Dublin. He became involved in Mercer's Hospital in Dublin, serving as its chairman. Stanley-Clarke died at Howth in January 1983, aged 96. At the time of his death he was thought to have been the oldest living English first-class cricketer. He was survived by his wife, who died in 1996 at the age of 100.