In Gaffargaon in the Mymensingh district of southern Bangladesh, there was a tragedy in June 1942 that resulted in the deaths of Australian cricketer, Pilot Officer Ross Gregory, and five crewmen. Their Wellington B514 crashed during bombing operations against the Japanese in Burma. They were buried by local police, but after 80 years, their graves have disappeared due to flood water. Their names are now inscribed on the Commonwealth War Grave Commissions Singapore Memorial, 4,000 kilometers away. Gregory was only 26, with a future that was never realized. He was known as a right-handed batsman who made his debut for Victoria while still in school. He played and performed in two Ashes Test Matches in 1936/37. He was taken out in the final match by a fielder who is buried in the Caserta War Cemetery near Naples. With a gallant military career ending with his last words, Captain Hedley Verity lies in the same cemetery and sacrificed himself in a prisoner-of-war camp. England players also lost their lives in WWII, including Verity. Verity’s first-class cricket performance was outstanding, which is why he’s unforgettable and his sacrifice remembered. Cricketer Ken Farnes was also killed in a tragic plane crash during a training exercise. All these cricketers deserve to be remembered, honored, and never forgotten.
