Eric Buller
Encyclopedia
Major Eric Tremayne Buller M.C.
(3 January 1894 – 8 August 1973) was an English
cricket
er and decorated British Army
officer.
, Wiltshire
, he was educated at Harrow School
, where he represented the school cricket team. In the First World War, Buller served in the initially Devonshire Regiment. In May 1915, he was listed in the London Gazette
as having attended the Royal Military College
where he passed out holding the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and joined the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
. In the January 1917 Supplement to the London Gazette, Buller was listed as being promoted to temporary Lieutenant
from the rank of 2nd Lieutenant that he held, this time in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
. During the course of the war he was awarded the Military Cross
. He later served in the 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry as part of the British Rhine Army
occupying the Rhineland
. He eventually retired from the Army at some point prior to the Second World War, holding the rank of Major.
appearance following the war for the Army
against the Cambridge University
at Fenner's
in 1919. In this match he scored 46 runs in the Army first-innings, before being dismissed by Arthur Gilligan
. In their second-innings he scored an unbeaten
12 runs. With the ball he claimed 11 wicket-less overs
. Buller played for the British Rhine Army, the occupying British force in Rhine Land, in 1922 against the Marylebone Cricket Club
at Cologne
. In 1924, he made his Minor Counties Championship debut for Devon
against the Surrey Second XI
. He represented Devon until 1926, and returned in 1931 to play a single match against Cornwall
.
, Hertfordshire
. He died in Bath, Somerset
on August 8, 1973. His grandfather, Francis Leyborne Popham played first-class cricket for Oxford University
and the Gentlemen of Kent.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(3 January 1894 – 8 August 1973) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and decorated British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer.
Early life and military career
Born in HighworthHighworth
Highworth is a market town in the unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England, located about north-east of Swindon town centre. At the 2001 census it had a population of 7,996...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, he was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, where he represented the school cricket team. In the First World War, Buller served in the initially Devonshire Regiment. In May 1915, he was listed in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
as having attended the Royal Military College
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
where he passed out holding the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and joined the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
. In the January 1917 Supplement to the London Gazette, Buller was listed as being promoted to temporary Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
from the rank of 2nd Lieutenant that he held, this time in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
. During the course of the war he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. He later served in the 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry as part of the British Rhine Army
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
occupying the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. He eventually retired from the Army at some point prior to the Second World War, holding the rank of Major.
Cricket career
Buller made his only first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
appearance following the war for the Army
British Army cricket team
The Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The team played a number of first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined "Army and Navy" side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team in 1910 and 1911...
against the Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
at Fenner's
Fenner's
Fenner's is the University of Cambridge's cricket ground.-History:Fenner's has hosted first-class cricket since 1848, and many of the world's great players have graced the wicket. The ground was established on land leased for the purpose by Francis Fenner, after whom the ground is named.Playing for...
in 1919. In this match he scored 46 runs in the Army first-innings, before being dismissed by Arthur Gilligan
Arthur Gilligan
Arthur Edward Robert Gilligan was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Sussex, Surrey and England....
. In their second-innings he scored an unbeaten
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
12 runs. With the ball he claimed 11 wicket-less overs
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
. Buller played for the British Rhine Army, the occupying British force in Rhine Land, in 1922 against the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. In 1924, he made his Minor Counties Championship debut for Devon
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
against the Surrey Second XI
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. He represented Devon until 1926, and returned in 1931 to play a single match against Cornwall
Cornwall County Cricket Club
Cornwall County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cornwall and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
.
Personal life
On July 22, 1922 he married Dorothy Bridget Tyrwhitt-Drake, with whom he had three children including one daughter, Tresilla Ann Elinor Buller Leyborne Popham. He changed his name to Eric Tremayne Buller Leyborne Popham on 15 October 1943. At some point in his life he lived in Little GaddesdenLittle Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. He died in Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
on August 8, 1973. His grandfather, Francis Leyborne Popham played first-class cricket for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and the Gentlemen of Kent.
External links
- Eric Buller at ESPNcricinfo
- Eric Buller at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...