Ralph McCall

{{short description|Scottish cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| image =

| country = Scotland

| fullname = Ralph Leycester McCall

| nickname =

| birth_date = 10 April 1884

| birth_place = Stroud, Gloucestershire, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1945|8|17|1884|4|10|df=yes}}

| death_place = Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Unknown

| bowling =

| role =

| family =

| club1 = Europeans

| year1 = 1913/14

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 4

| bat avg1 = 2.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 3

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = 1/–

| date = 19 November

| year = 2022

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/ralph-mccall-31147 Cricinfo

}}

Ralph Leycester McCall {{postnominal|DSO|MC}} (10 April 1884 — 17 August 1945) was an English-born Scottish first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

The son of William Lockhart McCall, he was born at Stroud in April 1884. He was educated at Haileybury,{{cite book |title=Haileybury Register 1862–1910 |first=L. S. |last=Millford |date=1907 |publisher=Richard Clay and Sons, Limited |edition=4 |page=247 |url=https://archive.org/details/b28993287/page/246/mode/2up |language=en}} after which he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Gordon Highlanders in June 1901.{{London Gazette|issue=27330|date=5 July 1901|page=4475}} He served in the Second Boer War, gaining the Queen's South Africa Medal and three clasps. McCall transferred to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in April 1903,{{London Gazette|issue=27643|date=9 February 1904|page=862}} and later served with the Highlands at the Beijing Legation Quarter in 2008. McCall was promoted to lieutenant in 1909.From the London Gazette. The Irish Times. 2 October 1909. p. 8 He later served in British India, where he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against Parsees at Poona in the Bombay Presidency Match of 1913.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14055/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Ralph McCall|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=19 November 2022|url-access=subscription}} Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed for a single run by Hormasji Kanga in the Europeans first innings, while in their second innings he was dismissed for 3 runs by Jehangir Warden.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/9/9169.html|title=Europeans v Parsees, Bombay Presidency Match 1913/14|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=19 November 2022|url-access=subscription}}

Serving in the First World War, McCall was promoted to captain in October 1914.{{London Gazette|issue=29042|date=15 January 1915|page=584|supp=y}} In July 1915, he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty while serving as part of the British Expeditionary Force. His decoration came for actions at Hooge, where his company were forced to evacuate while under heavy shelling and gas attack. McCall, alongside a junior officer, rallied their men to mount three counterattacks to drive German troops from their trenches, despite himself being wounded.{{London Gazette|issue=29215|date=2 July 1915|page=6536|supp=y}} In November 1916, while a temporary major, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order for conspicuous gallantry and skill in an attack for taking command of his battalion following the wounding of his commanding officer, helping to organise the defence of their captured positions and repelling enemy counterattacks, killing five German soldiers himself in the process.{{London Gazette|issue=29837|date=24 November 1916|page=11530|supp=y}} McCall was appointed a brevet major in January 1918,{{London Gazette|city=Edinburgh|issue=13186|date=2 January 1918|page=19}} before gaining the full rank the following month.{{London Gazette|issue=30524|date=12 February 1918|page=2010|supp=y}} In the 1918 Birthday Honours, he was made a brevet lieutenant colonel in recognition of his actions during the Salonika campaign.{{London Gazette||issue=30719|date=31 May 1918|page=6504|supp=y}}

McCall's promotion to the full rank of lieutenant colonel did not come until November 1929,{{London Gazette|issue=33551|date=12 November 1929|page=7306}} at which point he was placed in command of the 2nd Cameron Highlanders.Highland Territorial Commands. Truth. 21 June 1933. p. 10 He was placed on the half-pay list in November 1933,{{London Gazette|issue=33992|date=3 November 1933|page=7108}} and was subsequently transferred to the Territorial Army, being placed in command of the 154th (Argyll and Sutherland) Infantry Brigade, with the rank of colonel.{{London Gazette|issue=33992|date=28 November 1933|page=7699}} McCall was made an aide-de-camp to George V in July 1934.{{London Gazette|issue=34073|date=27 July 1934|page=4814}} He relinquished his command of the 154th and retired from active service in November 1937.{{London Gazette|issue=34455|date=16 November 1937|page=7187}} McCall died at Edinburgh in August 1945.