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Auction: 26002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 202

The outstanding Great War M.C. group of four awarded to 2nd Lieutenant W. W. Odell, Nottingham and Derbyshire Regiment, a first-class cricketer who represented both Leicestershire and London County in a prolonged First Class career of 193 matches in which he took no less than 738 wickets with his right arm medium; notably dismissing W. G. Grace on his debut, before dismissing 'The Doctor' a couple of weeks later for good measure

Odell was to be killed in action at Broodseinde in October 1917, while serving alongside V.C. winner Corporal Fred Greaves

Military Cross, G.V.R, the reverse engraved '2nd Lieut. W. W. Odell Notts & Derby For Conspicuous Gallantry & Devotion To Duty June 14 1917.', in its case of issue; British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. W. W. Odell.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (William Ward Odell), sold together with an archive comprising a signed team sheet of the Leicester-Nottingham Cricket Match 11 July 1904, photograph postcards of the team and collectable county cricket cards, all very fine (4)

M.C. London Gazette 14 September 1917:

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in taking out a patrol at a critical moment and gaining very valuable information, which resulted in bodies of the enemy who were massing for attacking being dispersed by our artillery fire. Throughout all operations he has consistently displayed the utmost courage and coolness.'

William Ward Odell was born on 5 November 1881 in Leicester to the renowned Primitive Methodist Minister The Reverend Joseph Odell, who held ministries in the North, the Midlands, Wales and Brooklyn, NY in the United States. Odell was educated at King Edward IV Camp Hill School for Boys, a grammar school, where he saw the origins of his esteemed cricket career, playing for the XI. His brother was Edwin Odell, a fellow first-class cricketer who too did a short stint representing Leicester.

From 1901 until the outbreak of the war, Odell represented Leicestershire and made a total of 193 first-class appearances for them. He was a right-handed lower middle order batsman and a right arm medium pace bowler who his first victims on debut at Crystal Palace Park on 22 July 1901. Remarkably, in his first game for Leicestershire, he succeeded in taking the wicket of legendary cricketer W. G. Grace - and if this was not enough, to further add salt to the wound, Odell had Grace yet again two weeks later at the Aylestone Road, Leicester. Odell showed himself to be the perfect all-rounder in these two matches. He scored 16 in his one over in his debut and in his second match, Odell took nine wickets for 73, making this the first time he had taken more than five wickets in an innings. In the match following, he went one better by taking 10 for 103.

Between 1902-04, Odell did a stint with London County. It was here that he played the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.), playing against the even more famous Arthur Conan Doyle. At this match Odell took six wickets in the second innings against M.C.C., including Conan Doyle for a duck. His successes kept on coming as he took 100 wickets in his 1903 season, a feat he repeated for two consecutive seasons. His achievement of 112 wickets in a season in 1904 was the pinnacle of his career, and his batting continued to improve with an average of 17.39 in his seasonal total of 574 runs. Over the following years the number of wickets reached settled at around circa 100 and by 1909, he was playing less and less for Leicester, with The Times citing "business engagements" for his absence (The Times, 21 October 1908, p.15 refers).

In 1916, Odell enlisted into the Inns of Court Officer's Training Corps as a Private under the service number '6424'. He was commissioned by September into the 9th Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment, serving on the Western Front and likely saw action at the Somme in 1916 and the Battle of Messines in June 1917. From July 1917, the Regiment moved into the trenches at Ypres and formed part of the 33rd Brigade. They were in the front line of the trenches in the Battle of Pilckem in late July - early August and it was around this time in September that Odell was awarded his Military Cross.

The Regiment went from assault to assault and in October the 9th Battalion attacked Poelpelle Village, which was where Odell finally met his demise. Otherwise known as the Battle of Broodeinde, the 9th Battalion were front line in the British assault on the Gheluvelt Plateau and they were indeed successful in seizing the German trenches that lay ahead of them. Serving directly beside Odell in the 9th Battalion was Corporal Fred Greaves, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantly leading his men forward while under heavy fire, securing and holding captured ground, perhaps even with Odell in his number. What we can say is that Odell died of his wounds here and his body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium and left behind his wife Alice and three children Constance, William and Winifred.

Odell was remembered fondly by his fellow cricket enthusiasts in Wisden Magazine:

'2ND LT WILLIAM WARD ODELL (Sherwood Foresters), born November 5, 1881: killed October 4. Military Cross. Had been wounded. For several seasons Odell was one of the best bowlers in Leicestershire Eleven. He was right-handed and bowelled medium-pace. He met with marked success for Gentlemen against Players at The Oval in 1905, taking four wickets for 86 runs and six for 54.' (Widsen on the Great War: The Lives of Cricket's Fallen 1914-1918, Andrew Renshaw, p. 353).

Odell was one of the few first-class cricketers who enlisted, commissioned, decorated for gallantry and sadly, killed in action (ibid).

Sold with substantial copied research.


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Estimate
£2,000 to £3,000

Starting price
£1600