Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Lieutenant W. R. de la C. Shirley, Nigeria Regiment, who played First Class Cricket for Cambridge University and Hampshire

War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Nigeria, reverse engraved ‘Lieut. W. R. de la Cour Shirley, The Nigeria Regt.’, with integral top riband bar, nearly extremely fine (2) £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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William Robert de la Cour Shirley was born in Marylebone, London, on 13 October 1900, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel William Shirley, C.M.G., and was educated at Eton, where he was a member of the Cricket XI, playing at Lord’s against Harrow in 1919; and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he again played for the University XI, winning his Blue in 1924. A First-Class cricketer for Hampshire from 1922-25, as an off-break bowler and middle order batsmen, he played in their famous match against Warwickshire in 1922- all out for 15 in their first innings, they ended up winning by 155 runs, a match described by Wisden as ‘surely without precedent in first-class cricket.’

Appointed to the Colonial Service in Nigeria in 1927, Shirley was advanced District Officer in 1937, and Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1941; he was awarded the War Medal by virtue of being an officer of the Nigeria Police Force, and was subsequently awarded his Efficiency Decoration. Whilst stationed in Nigeria he also found time for some cricket, and played for the Nigeria XI in their annual match against the Gold Coast, in which he took a hat-trick.

Sold with copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient as part of the Eton XI in 1919.