Alexander Johnston

Brigadier General Alexander Colin Johnston DSO & Bar, MC (26 January 1884 – 27 December 1952) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Johnston was a right-handed batsman who was a leg break bowler. Johnston also occasionally played as a wicketkeeper. Early life Born in Derby, Johnston was educated at Winchester College, where he represented the college cricket team. From there Johnston went to Sandhurst and he also spent a year as a cowboy in Colorado and New Mexico before being commissioned into the Worcestershire Regiment on 4 November 1903. First-class cricket career Johnston made his first-class debut for Hampshire in the 1902 County Championship against Surrey. Johnston played 107 matches for Hampshire before the First World War, with Johnston's most successful seasons with the bat coming in 1910 when he scored 1,158 runs at a batting average of 36.18, with seven half centuries and a single century score of 130; and in 1,044 runs at an average of 54.94 and a career high score of 175 against Warwickshire. In addition to representing Hampshire before the war, Johnston also played for the Marylebone Cricket Club in two pre-war first-class matches against Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, both matches coming in 1911. Also in 1911, Johnston played a single match for the Gentlemen in the 1911 Gentlemen v Players fixture, representing them once more in the 1912 fixture. In the 1914 season, which was cut short by the First World War, Johnston played a single match for the Army against the Royal Navy. Johnston's final first-class match for Hampshire before the war came against Surrey at Portsmouth. First World War service Johnston fought in the First World War, serving on the Western Front with the original Expeditionary Force, being wounded four times and rising to the rank of brigadier general. Initially Johnston served as signals officer for 7th Infantry Brigade. He went on to serve in that capacity with 3rd Division before becoming, in turn, brigade major, commanding officer 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment and finally officer commanding 126 Infantry Brigade. Johnston took part in the engagements at Mons, Le Cateau and the subsequent retreat and advance to the Aisne. In 1916 whilst commanding the 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his actions at the Battle of the Somme. A year later in 1917 he was awarded a bar to his DSO for his actions at Ypres.