Brian Trubshaw

Ernest Brian Trubshaw, best known for his remarkable services to aviation, especially as chief test pilot on the VC10 and Concorde aircraft, died on March 24 aged 77. Indeed, the Concorde test programme saw him become a household name. It is less well known that cricket played an important part in his early life. When he passed into Winchester he had the good fortune to be placed in the house of Harry Altham, who did everything to foster his interest in cricket. Injury kept him out of the Winchester XI in 1940 but the next year, in the company of such well known figures as P.A. Whitcombe and G.H.G. Doggart, he joined a team which enjoyed considerable success; he shared a partnership with the latter in the Eton match which was the first victory over that school for 20 years. They also defeated Harrow, Bradfield and Wellington. The following season was a not quite so spectacular: Trubshaw was captain, and the highlight of his season was an innings of 80 against MCC. A matter of weeks later, part of his introduction to the Royal Air Force saw him having a medical inspection in the Long Room at Lord's, then part of the Air Crew Reception Centre. He returned to Lord's in 1946 during the glorious post-war explosion of cricket, this time representing his service against the Royal Navy. Further matches followed under the captaincy of Alan Shireff which included a protracted tour of British units in France and Germany. Several years as a pilot on the Royal Flight and his later hectic career as a test pilot left time only for social cricket but his interest never flagged.
George Chesterton, The Cricketer