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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Geoffrey Rawson
| image =
| country = England
| fullname = Geoffrey Grahame Rawson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1887|12|2|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Shirmadavy]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1979|1|14|1887|12|2|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Kensington]], [[London]], [[England]]
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling =
| role = [[Batsman]]
| club1 = [[British Army cricket team|Army]]
| year1 = 1921
| type1 = First-class
| onetype1 =
| debutdate1 = 4 June
| debutyear1 = 1921
| debutfor1 = [[British Army cricket team|Army]]
| debutagainst1 = [[Cambridge University cricket team|Cambridge University]]
| lastdate1 = 24 June
| lastyear1 = 1921
| lastfor1 = [[British Army cricket team|Army]]
| lastagainst1 = [[Royal Navy Cricket Club|Royal Navy]]
| columns = 1
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches1 = 3
| runs1 = 69
| bat avg1 = 13.80
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 39
| deliveries1 = 0
| wickets1 = -
| bowl avg1 = -
| fivefor1 = -
| tenfor1 = -
| best bowling1 = -
| catches/stumpings1 = 5/0
| date = 20 April
| year = 2008
| source = http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/32/32273/32273.html CricketArchive
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] '''Geoffrey Grahame Rawson''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|OBE|MC}} (2 December 1887 – 14 January 1979<ref name="CIP">[http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/19605.html Cricinfo profile]</ref>) was a [[British Army]] officer who served in both the [[World War I|First]] and [[Second World War]]s and had a notable [[cricket]] career, playing [[first-class cricket]] for the [[British Army cricket team|Army]] in 1921.<ref name="CIP" />

==Military career==
He was born as the son of an Indian Civil Servant and went to [[England]] where he was educated at [[Cheltenham College]].{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=262}} Upon his graduation from the [[Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]], in 1908, Rawson was commissioned into the [[Royal Engineers]] as a [[second lieutenant]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28171|page=6219|date=25 August 1908}}</ref> He was promoted [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 18 August 1910.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28408|page=6039|date=19 August 1910}}</ref> By 20 November 1915, over fifteen months after the outbreak of the [[World War I|First World War]], he had been promoted to [[captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]], and he was then given command of a signals [[company (military unit)|company]] at a [[corps]] headquarters, with a temporary [[major (United Kingdom)|majority]],<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29534|supp=y|page=3557|date=4 April 1916}}</ref> he was awarded the [[Military Cross]] (MC) in the 1916 [[King's Birthday Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29608|supp=y|pages=5570–5576|date=2 June 1916}}</ref> His temporary rank became a [[brevet (military)|brevet]] on 3 June 1917.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30111|supp=y|page=5465|date=1 June 1917}}</ref> He was appointed assistant director, army signals (with the acting rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-colonel]]) on 19 April 1917, relinquishing the post (and the rank) on 13 November 1917.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30461|supp=y|page=415|date=4 January 1918}}<br />{{London Gazette|issue=30463|supp=y|page=457|date=4 January 1918}}<br />{{London Gazette|issue=30577|supp=y|page=3293|date=12 March 1918}}</ref> He was then appointed a [[Staff Officer|Staff Captain]] at the [[War Office]] on 6 April 1918.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30653|supp=y|page=5040|date=23 April 1918}}</ref> He formally transferred from the Engineers to the newly established [[Royal Corps of Signals]] on 22 March 1921, and since taking up the post of Staff Captain, had been appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32322|supp=y|page=3837|date=12 May 1921}}</ref>

On 1 April 1921 he was promoted from Staff Captain to [[Adjutant general|Deputy Assistant Adjutant General]], still at the War Office,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32334|supp=y|page=4168|date=25 May 1921}}</ref> holding the post until 29 January 1923.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32794|page=994|date=9 February 1923}}</ref> By 1928 he was substantive lieutenant-colonel and commanded a signals regiment for four years until 15 May 1932, when he was promoted to [[colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]] and placed on the half pay list.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33826|page=3220|date=17 May 1932}} <br />{{London Gazette|issue=33827|page=3277|date=20 May 1932}}</ref> On 5 December 1932 he was appointed chief instructor at the School of Signals,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33902|page=302|date=13 January 1933}}</ref> holding the post until 5 December 1936.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34346|page=7819|date=4 December 1936}}</ref> On 30 June 1937 he was appointed deputy director of the signals department at the War Office, and was granted the temporary rank of [[brigadier]];<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34414|page=4249|date=2 July 1937}}</ref> he became director, with the acting rank of major-general, on 3 January 1941.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35096|supp=y|page=1350|date=4 March 1941}}</ref> He held the additional honorary appointment of [[Aide-de-camp]] to [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] between 1 August 1938<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34547|page=5605|date=2 September 1938}}</ref> and April 1941, vacating the appointment when his acting rank of major-general was made substantive.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35170|supp=y|page=2937|date=20 May 1941}}</ref> The promotion was back-dated to 14 January 1941, with seniority from 14 June 1938.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35144|supp=y|page=2348|date=22 April 1941}}</ref> He was appointed [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] (CB) in the 1941 King's Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35204|supp=y|pages=3735–3736|date=27 June 1941}}</ref> He retired on 2 December 1944,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36818|supp=y|page=5498|date=27 June 1941}}</ref> and was appointed [[Colonel Commandant]] of the Royal Corps of Signals on 31 December 1944,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36861|supp=y|page=5936|date=26 December 1944}}</ref> holding the role until 18 September 1950.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39082|supp=y|page=6061|date=5 December 1950}}</ref>

==Cricket career==
A right-handed [[batsman]],<ref>[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/32/32273/32273.html CricketArchive profile]</ref> Rawson played three first-class matches during the [[1921 English cricket season]], all for the Army. He first played against [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]] and [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]], before playing against the [[Royal Navy Cricket Club|Royal Navy]] at [[Lord's]].<ref>[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/32/32273/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Geoffrey Rawson] at CricketArchive</ref>

He later played three matches for the [[Egypt national cricket team]]. Two against [[Free Foresters Cricket Club|Free Foresters]] in 1927, and one against [[Hubert Martineau|HM Martineau's XI]] in 1935.<ref>[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/32/32273/Other_matches.html Other matches played by Geoffrey Rawson] at CricketArchive</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}

==External links==
*[https://generals.dk/general/Rawson/Geoffrey_Grahame/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawson, Geoffrey}}
[[Category:1887 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:Egyptian cricketers]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:British Army cricketers]]
[[Category:British Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:Royal Corps of Signals officers]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]]
[[Category:War Office personnel in World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:People educated at Cheltenham College]]
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]

Geoffrey Rawson - Revision history

Bot at 21:38, 16 November 2022