4. Pinkneys Green Cricket Club in World War Two

In contrast to 1914, attitudes to sport in wartime navigation training exercise. had reversed in 1939. On a national level it was Peacock was a Sergeant in seen as essential to maintaining morale, capturing the RAF and was part of an the zeitgeist of “Keep Calm and Carry On”. This eight man crew on a feeling was reflected by club secretary Joyce Wellington Bomber which Piercey when she addressed the AGM in March was last seen diving into the 1940: Bristol Channel streaming “although times will no doubt be flames from the port difficult, we are going to do our engine. Only one body was utmost to carry on. A number of our recovered. He is stalwarts are in HM Forces and we commemorated on the RAF would take this opportunity of memorial at Runnymede, the Stubbings war wishing them the best of luck and a memorial and by the elm trees that line the speedy r eturn t o normal times. western boundar y of the gr ound t o this da y. We look to the coming season with Cricket on the Green was then brought to a close in confidence, certain that in despite of December 1940 when the Council received an all the difficulties we will keep the order from the War Agricultural club going along steadily until peace Committee that six acres of the playing field were is r estored” to be ploughed up and sowed with a spring cereal The meeting ended with a motion that all past crop. This was at the instigation of the National members serving in HM Forces be made honorary Trust. Local farmer Jock Findlay took over the land members f or the dur ation of the w ar. and carried out the Committee’s orders. He felt this Thus Pinkneys Green embarked on what was to be would be unprofitable with disappointing results its first and last war time season. At times it was but the War Agricultural committee accepted the difficult to raise even one team but with the responsibility and confirmed it would be returned cooperation of the players of St Marys & Nomads to the National Trust when it has been restored United, and Boyne Hill the club was able to after the war. Landlord of the Stag and Hounds, complete most of its fixtures with a fair amount of Johnny Walker described the wartime scene as: success winning half of the eigh teen ma tches. “Huge corn ricks where once stumps were pitched, The impact of the global conflict on the club was and pot ato clamp s deck ed the boundar y”. brought home in August. Firstly a small high He went onto say that: “Great difficulty was explosive bomb was dropped on the thicket at experienced in keeping a small area of the ground - Pinkneys Green. This was followed by the awful unploughed - in order to protect the right to play, news that young all rounder Roy Peacock, whose being Common land, at any rate such was the family home was in Pinkneys Road, had died in a thought”.

Amongst those w orking the land w ere It alian missing in Malaya. He was Prisoners of W ar. B y 1944 a v olunteer land arm y presumed to have been imprisoned had t aken o ver t o clear the thick et f or further by the Japanese but his parents in cultivation and the y w ere visit ed in July b y King Pinkneys Road had to wait until George VI and Queen Eliz abeth who c ame t o look August 1943 for this to be at their w ork, s tarting a t Pinkne ys Gr een be fore confirmed when a scorched post going on to and Shurlock R ow. card was found in County Kerry, Ireland following Despite play ceasing for five seasons, an air craft acciden t. the members continued to make the Dennis Mosenthal, son of club news with their wartime exploits. In President Edgar, was taken prisoner September 1942 Bob Carter who had by the Italians at Tobruk in June been present at the evacuation of 1942 whilst serving as a Captain in British forces from Norway, was a the 2nd South African Division. He leading supply assistant on HMS Aircraft Carrier was subsequently transferred from Italy to a Eagle when it was torpedoed in a convoy battle in German Oflag (a prisoner of war camp reserved for the Mediterranean. He owed his life to a shipmate officers). In February 1944 he was reported as who shouted “swim for it Bob: this means 14 days acting as a producer of a musical comedy. He leave”. A nephew of Bert Sealey of Sealey’s stores, returned home sa fely in Ma y 1945. Bob spent some time back home in Havelock Road Future club president Major before returning to active service and ended the Gordon Palmer of Fernhurst was war in Sri Lank a (then kno wn as Ce ylon). awarded an MBE for gallant and Earlier in 1942, Lieutenant Philip Harrison, a signals distinguished service in Malta in officer in the Renaissance corps was reported January 1944.

Following the success of the D-Day landings in the up to 10 years until the 280 permanent dwellings summer of 1944, attention began to be drawn to were r eady t o be occupied. the post war future of the country. For The sight of a V2 bomb bursting over Pinkneys this involved the construction of large scale social Green (it eventually landed in Cockpole Green) was housing with one of the biggest estates planned for a reminder that hostilities had not quite finished Pinkneys Green where 24.57 acres of land had but signs of a return to normality increased been bought for £4,250 from Farmer Findlay. The throughout 1945. In June Marjorie Palmer finally roads were to be named after British Bomber married England test star Freddie Brown having planes, with many of the ensuing inhabitants called of f the eng agement be fore the w ar. playing a pivotal role in the club’s fortunes post Having hit the club’s first century in 1938, Harry war. Initially 100 prefabs were to be built, to last for Plummer showed he was equally talented with the ball. Formerly living in Allenby Road and working at Hewens Garage, Plummer had spent the war as a Away friendlies resumed on 11th May with a win Staff Sergeant in the 32nd Brigade Workshops against Maidenhead & Bray 2nd XI. The first post (REME). In 1945 he took 14 wickets at an average of war match back at Pinkneys Green took place on 3 f or the Brig ade crick et t eam. Whit Monday June 10th. The visitors were long Following VJ day a meeting was held at the Waggon time opponents, Mocatra, the gregarious eleven of & Horses to discuss the revival of the club. It was taxi drivers from London. President Mosenthal unanimously agreed to start work on the playing formally re-opened the ground at the tea interval pitch in the anticipation of it being released by the when the players stood in silent tribute to those Berkshire War Agricultural Committee. Edgar who had lost their life in World War Two. Despite Mosenthal instituted a fund for the necessary very bad weather, a good number of spectators cultivation and preparation. By the time of the watched an enjoyable game, won by the Green by AGM in April 1946 the outfield had been resown by 15 runs. Jock Findlay and the ground returned with the full encouragement and cooperation of the National Trust and Berk shire W ar Agricultur al Commit tee.

Bibliography Walker R ., Pinkne ys Gr een - The Villag e and its Crick et Club, 1973 Maidenhead Adv ertiser Ancestry.com International Bomber Command Losses Da tabase Commonwealth W ar Gr aves Commission