Donald Ray (cricketer) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Donald William Garnham Ray
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| Born | 2 July 1903 Wimborne, Dorset, England |
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| Died | 12 July 1944 (aged 41) on board a hospital ship off Southampton, Hampshire, England |
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| Batting | Unknown | ||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1931 | Marylebone Cricket Club | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 15 November 2020
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Donald William Garnham Ray (born July 2, 1903 – died July 12, 1944) was an English cricket player. He was also an officer in the British Army.
Contents
Who Was Donald Ray?
Donald Ray was born in Wimborne, Dorset, England, in July 1903. His parents were Walter John Orbell and Marie Estelle Ray. He went to Wellington College for his education.
Joining the Army
After college, Donald decided to join the military. He attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In August 1923, he became a second lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers. This is a junior officer rank. Two years later, in August 1925, he was promoted to lieutenant.
Playing Cricket
Donald Ray was also a talented cricketer. In 1931, he played a special type of match called first-class cricket. He played for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Their opponents were the British Army cricket team. The match took place at Lord's, a famous cricket ground.
Donald played as a wicket-keeper. This player stands behind the stumps to catch balls. In the match, he batted twice. In his first turn, he didn't score any runs. In his second turn, he scored 2 runs. As a wicket-keeper, he caught one ball and made two stumpings. A stumping is when the wicket-keeper knocks the bails off the stumps while a batter is out of their ground.
Life and Military Service
In December 1932, Donald Ray married Marcy Standish-Barry. He continued his military career. In July 1934, he was promoted to captain.
Serving Abroad
Captain Ray served in British India for a time. Later, he worked as an adjutant in British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). An adjutant helps a commanding officer with administrative tasks. He was part of the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps.
World War II Service
When Second World War began, Donald Ray returned to England. He joined the British Expeditionary Force. This force fought in France during the Fall of France in 1940.
In June 1944, he went back to France. This time, he was in command of the 6th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. He led his troops on D-Day, the famous invasion of Normandy.
Final Days
In July 1944, Captain Ray was wounded in battle near Caen, France. He was taken to a hospital ship. The ship was heading back to England for his treatment. Sadly, he died from his wounds on July 12, 1944. This happened before the ship could reach Southampton.
