TOPIC:

In Harold Park, Low Moor.



The date of the article below isn't given (after 2002) but it would seem that the sundial was stolen some time after that.

Yorkshire [County Cricket Club] president Bob Appleyard has paid a visit to Harold Park, Bradford, to view a sundial which was erected over 100 years ago in memory of one of the Club's greatest war heroes.

Frank Milligan, fast bowler, hard-hitting batsman and brilliant fielder, was just turned 30 on March 31, 1900, when he was killed in action while serving under Colonel Plumer in the attempted relief of Mafeking in the Boar War.

He was born in Hampshire, but lived in Bradford for a time, and was employed at Low Moor Iron Works until he left when some of his ideas were not acted upon.

Milligan played in 81 matches for Yorkshire between 1894 and 1898, and in two Tests for England in South Africa in 1898-99 - after which he settled in that country. He scored 2,232 runs and captured 144 wickets during a colourful First Class career, but it was his war exploits which made him a national hero.

He was an extremely popular figure with children, and as a memorial to his name the great Yorkshire captain, Lord Hawke, presented a bed to a children's hospital in Bradford. The memorial sundial in Harold Park was also unveiled by Lord Hawke in 1902, and inscribed:

To the memory of Lieutenant Frank Milligan, of Royds Hall, and a member of the Yorkshire County Cricket Eleven. He fell bravely defending the position assigned to him under Colonel Plumer with the Rhodesian Frontier Forces in the attempted relief of Mafeking.

Bob Appleyard said after his visit: The sundial fell into disrepair, but it was restored in 1987, and is a wonderful memorial to a true hero and a great cricketer. www.yorkshireindexers.info/wiki/index.ph...LIGAN,_Frank_William



TO THE MEMORY OF
LIEUTENANT
FRANK W MILLIGAN
OF ROYDS HALL AND A
MEMBER OF THE YORK
SHIRE COUNTY CRICKET XI
HE FELL BRAVELY DEFENDING
THE POSITION ASSIGNED
TO HIM WHILST SERVING
UNDER COL PLUMER WITH
THE RHODESIAN FRONTIER
FORCE IN THE ATTEMPTED
RELIEF OF MAFELING S A
31 MARCH 1900
THIS MEMORIAL WAS
ERECTED BY PUBLIC
SUBSCRIPTION IN ADDITION
TO THE ENDOWMENT OF
THE FRANK W MILLIGAN
COTS IN THE BRADFORD
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

Berenice
Lt. F.W.Milligan of the Rhodesian Regt was killed in action at Ramathlabama on 31031900 as one of the relieving force under Col.Plumer. Palmer roll also gives his sporting background and mentions his Memorial tablet.
Regards
IL.

Berenice
Really sorry; forgot to mention that Lt. Milligan was a member of "C" Squadron, Rhod Regt. QSA clasps RofM and Rhodesia.
Butterfingers Linney!

Amongst lovers of cricket throughout the country, but especially amongst those who follow the fortunes of the Yorkshire county team, the news that Mr. F. W. Milligan has been badly wounded will excite keen regret. He was born at Low Moor on March 19th, 1870, and thus is only thirty years of age. He formerly played frequently with the Low Moor cricket team, acting as captain and doing excellent service for them.

Mr. Milligan first played for Yorkshire in a first-class match on July 9th, 1894, when Derbyshire was met. He only scored four in each innings, and the two wickets which he obtained cost 42 runs, so that it is not surprising to find that the "Observer Budget" remarked that his trial was scarcely a success. As a matter of fact he was only tried once again that season, and his two innings then only yielded five runs. The excellent local reputation which he had won, however, secured for him further trials in 1895, and at the end of the season he headed the bowling averages, having secured eighteen [championship] wickets, an average of 14.5 He batted in fourteen [championship] innings, and his average was 13.61. Although he never scored a century for the county, he rendered good service in many a stiff contest. In 1896, when the Yorkshire eleven made the record score of 887, Mr. Milligan was playing, and was responsible for 34. From 1896 until last year he took part in matches whenever his business engagements permitted. An amateur of the best type, Mr. Milligan always displayed the best spirit of sportsmanship. He was a good bat, particularly on wet wickets, and a useful change bowler, with a good break. He was particularly deadly on a sticky wicket. For Low Moor, he generally fielded at point, but for Yorkshire was almost invariably placed at outfield. Last season his business engagements prevented him from playing, and he went out to South Africa.

Shortly after the outbreak of the war, he was offered, and accepted, a commission in the Imperial Light Horse as a lieutenant. From time to time news was heard of him, and he was always reported to be well and cheery. A letter from him dated from Macloutsie Fort, Bechuanaland, on November 13th, which was received by Mr. J. B. Wostinholm, the secretary of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, stated that he intended to be in Sheffield in May for next season's cricket. In the letter Mr. Milligan added that they had been on patrol along the Crocodile River for four days, with no roads, and with only the compass as a guide, and had ridden in that time 189 miles.
The Keighley News, Saturday 14th April 1900

cricketarchive.com/Yorkshire/Scorecards/4/4496.html



Colonel Plumer's Camp, April 6 (by despatch-rider, via Lourenco Marques, April 7).

A letter has been received here from General Soyman in reference to the British wounded and prisoners in the Boer laager as a result of the engagement of the 31st ult., Captain Craven, it is stated, has died of his wounds. Lieutenant Milligan is not a prisoner, and it is believed that he was among those buried by the Boers. Captain McLaren's condition is reported to be serious, but hopeful. Our casualties amounted to two officers and six men killed, and twenty-six men wounded, and one officer and eight men taken prisoners.
The Keighley News, Saturday 21st April 1900

Lieutenant Frank William Milligan - Rhodesian Regiment



Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Milligan

Just going through the rolls,there appears to be A,B,C,D and E Squadrons and a Mashonaland Squadron of the Rhodesia Regt- I have the QSA to 75 QMSGT C.F. Crowden from the Mashonaland Squadron who was awarded an 02 bar in 1906 as well as his existing Rhodesia, R of M and Transvaal clasps which were on an earlier roll.

I saw something on this forum which I now cannot find which was a named photo of all the mounted units in South Africa and was suprised to find the Rhodesia Regiment listed. I guess it had not occurred to me that they would have been mounted with a name like Rhodesia Regiment.