Can you help President Appleyard with the story of Milligan, of Mafeking?
Yorkshire President Bob Appleyard, pictured, has paid a visit to Harold Park, Bradford, to view a sundial 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 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. Yorkshire are now in the process of setting up a cricket museum at Headingley, and I am sure the Archives Committee would love to hear from anyone who has any memorablia concerning Milligan that they would like to loan or give to the Club."