Logie Leggatt

Logie Colin Leggatt (1894-1917) was an English cricketer who was killed during the First World War.

Life

Logie Leggatt was born on the 24 September 1894 at St. John's Hill, Bangalore and was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge.^[1][2]

Leggatt was a successful schoolboy cricketer in a strong Eton side and scored 74 against Winchester in 1913. Going up to Cambridge in 1914 he made some big scores in Trial Matches but was unable to establish himself in the eleven. He played in just the one first-class match for Cambridge against Yorkshire and was dismissed by England internationals in each innings: Wilfred Rhodes for 3 in the first and Major Booth for 6 in the second.^[3][4]

He is also regarded a great Eton Wall Game player. During a St Andrew's Day match, he scored a goal for College against the Oppidans. However, an Oppidan player claimed he had touched the ball before the goal was given. Although it was very clear that it was a goal and he had not touched a ball, Logie Leggatt said he trusts the Oppidan player and did not take the goal.

Leggatt was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards and was killed at Pilckem Ridge, Belgium on the 31 July 1917, the opening day of the Battle of Passchendale.^[5] His love for Eton was portrayed in a letter he sent to his parents and by the fact that he was killed while wearing a purple and white College Wall scarf.

References

1. Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn and Peter Wynne-Thomas, Who's Who of Cricketers (London, 1984), p. 608
2. "Cambridge University Calendar, 1916-17, retrieved July 2015".
3. "Wisden Obituary of Logie Colin Leggatt at Cricinfo, retrieved July 2015".
4. "Cambridge University vs. Yorkshire, 28th-29th May, 1914, at Cricket Archive, retrieved July 2015".
5. Who's Who of Cricketers p. 608