Butterworth, Pilot Officer Reginald Edmund Compton, R.A.F.V.R., the Harrow, Oxford and Middlesex cricketer, was killed in action in May. An allrounder, he started the bowling against Eton at Lord's in 1924, and in the two innings took eight wickets for 107 runs. Although bowling well for the Freshmen and scoring 79 in early trial, his form when first at Oxford was unreliable, and not until 1927 did he receive his Blue from E. R. T. Holmes. That season he scored 110 at the Oval against Surrey and 101 against Free Foresters, but, though always likely to prove valuable with either bat or ball, he did little against Cambridge. A good stroke player, he seldom wasted opportunities of scoring; his medium-paced bowling was difficult when he made the ball swing late. In recent years he played many good innings for Middlesex, and in 1937 opened the batting in several matches with either Edrich or Price.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack