Philip Pocock (cricketer)

{{short description|English cricketer and soldier}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Philip Pocock

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Philip Frederick Pocock

| birth_date = 5 December 1871

| birth_place = Mussoorie, North-Western Provinces, British India

| death_date = {{death date and age|1941|11|9|1871|12|5|df=yes}}

| death_place = Stansted Mountfitchet, Hertfordshire, England

| nickname =

| family =

| batting = Unknown

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 = Europeans

| year1 = 1896/97–1898/99

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 3

| runs1 = 12

| bat avg1 = 4.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 9

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = –/–

| date = 7 December

| year = 2023

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/philip-pocock-32469 Cricinfo

}}

Philip Frederick Pocock {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CB|DSO}} (5 December 1871 – 9 November 1941) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in both the British Army and the British Indian Army.

Pocock was born in December 1871 in British India at Mussoorie. He attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, graduating from there into the King's Regiment (Liverpool) as a second lieutenant in March 1891.{{London Gazette|issue=26146|date=24 March 1891|page=1666}} Pocock transferred to the British Indian Army in July 1892, being concurrently promoted to lieutenant.{{London Gazette|issue=26506|date=24 April 1894|page=2321}} While in serving in India, Pocock made three appearances in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team in the Bombay Presidency Match between 1896 and 1898.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14340/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Philip Pocock|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 December 2023|url-access=subscription}} In these, he scored 12 runs with a highest score of 9.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14340/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Philip Pocock|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 December 2023|url-access=subscription}} In the Indian Army, promotion to captain followed in July 1901.{{London Gazette|issue=27362|date=4 October 1901|page=6487}} He was made a brigade major in May 1905,{{London Gazette|issue=27971|date=27 November 1906|page=8307}} with promotion to major following in March 1909, at which point Pocock was serving with the 119th Infantry.{{London Gazette|issue=28259|date=11 June 1909|page=4483}}

He served in the First World War with the 120th Rajputana Infantry in the Mesopotamian campaign, during which he was mentioned in dispatches and made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in August 1918.{{London Gazette|issue=29536|date=4 April 1916|page=3671|supp=y}}{{London Gazette|issue=30859|date=20 August 1918|page=9818|supp=y}} During the campaign, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1917.{{London Gazette|issue=30138|date=19 June 1917|page=6051}} Following the war, he served in the Waziristan campaign, being mentioned in dispatches.{{London Gazette|issue=32353|date=10 June 1921|page=4702|supp=y}} By 1922, he held the rank of colonel. Pocock was decorated by France with the Croix de Guerre in February 1922, for services rendered during the First World War.{{London Gazette|city=Edinburgh|issue=13786|date=10 February 1922|page=265}} In the 1924 Birthday Honours, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath.{{London Gazette|issue=32941|date=30 May 1924|page=4409|supp=y}} He was later appointed a brigade commander with the 20th Indian Infantry Brigade in September 1926,{{London Gazette|issue=33224|date=26 November 1926|page=7681}} before being appointed an area commandant in November 1926.{{London Gazette|issue=33254|date=4 March 1927|page=1438}} Pocock retired in May 1927,{{London Gazette|issue=33272|date=6 May 1927|page=2964}} with him being granted the honorary rank of brigadier in August 1928.{{London Gazette|issue=33413|date=17 July 1928|page=5514}} He retired to England after the cessation of his military career, where he died in November 1941 at Stansted Mountfitchet, Hertfordshire.