Charles Orton
Charles Talbot Orton was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Serving in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Orton played first-class cricket in both England and British India. He served in the early stages of World War II, and was likely a victim of the Wormhoudt massacre in May 1940.Orton was born at Farnham to Major General Sir Ernest Frederick Orton and his wife Lady Orton. He was educated at Tonbridge School, and after completing his education he decided to follow in his fathers footsteps by joining the British Army. He graduated from the Royal Military College in August 1931 and was commissioned into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a second lieutenant. He made two appearances in first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team in 1937 against Oxford University and Cambridge University. Besides representing the army, he also played cricket for Aldershot Command, Catterick Garrison and the Yellowhammers. He was promoted to lieutenant in August 1934. He later married Margaret Stewart Rigg of Iverna Court, Kensington.
Orton was subsequently posted to British India, where he played two first-class matches for the Europeans in November 1938, against the Parsees and the Muslims at Bombay in the Bombay Quadrangular. He in the match against the Muslims, Orton took a five wicket haul in the Muslims first-innings, with figures of 7/51; however, it was not enough to stop to the Muslims winning the match by 97 runs. Returning to England, he was promoted to the rank of captain just days before the beginning of World War II.World War II and death
Orton was posted to France in September 1939, where he served during the Battle of France with the second battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in May 1940 the battalion formed part of the rearguard stalling the German advance on Dunkirk. Holding the line on the Comines Canal and the Escaut, the battalion was eventually overrun and forced to surrender on 28 May. Taken prisoner, Orton along with men from the Cheshire Regiment, Royal Artillery and the French Army, were taken to a barn outside Wormhout. It was here on the same day that 80 men, including Orton, were massacred by soldiers from the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. He is buried at the Dozinghem Military Cemetery.
