William Shakespeare (cricketer)

<!--Honours are as given in his obituary in Wisden 1946.-->Wing Commander William Harold Nelson Shakespeare OBE MC AFC (24 August 1893 &ndash; 10 July 1976) was an English cricketer, and pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and its successor the Royal Air Force.

As a pilot

As a pilot, in July 1918 Shakespeare won the Military Cross. His medal was awarded after he successfully carried out two patrols, one in "very bad weather" and one under intense fire. The citation praised him as "a gallant and determined pilot".A few months later, he gained the Air Force Cross.

T./Capt. William Harold Nelson Shakespeare,R.F.C. was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He carried out a most successful contact patrol in very bad weather at a height of 400 feet and brought back very valuable information. Later, he carried out another successful contact patrol at a low altitude, his machine being subjected to intense rifle and machine-gun fire. He is a gallant and determined pilot and has set a fine example to his squadron.

As a cricketer

Shakespeare played 26 first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1919 and 1931. He made his first-class debut in August 1919 against Warwickshire; this was a friendly match as Worcestershire did not enter the County Championship that season. Opening the batting with Alfred Cliff he had a fine match, scoring 62 in the first innings and 67 not out...
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