George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon

Admiral Sir George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon (3 October 1883 — 19 August 1947) was a distinguished Royal Navy officer as well as an English sportsman who played cricket at first-class level and played rugby union at international level for England, captaining the side in 1909. Beginning his career in the Royal Navy in 1899, Lyon saw action during the First World War and following the conclusion of the war, he moved through the senior ranks of the navy, holding various commands, both at the Admiralty and at sea. He would eventually reach the rank of admiral during the Second World War.

Early life and education The son of George Kenneth Lyon, of the Bengal Civil Service, and his wife, Ellen (daughter of Sir Warren Hastings) he was born in British India at Bankipore in October 1883. He was educated in England at King's School in Bruton, where his uncle was about to become school governor. At King's, he partook in singing and acting, and was active in sports. At the age of 12, he was considered the most promising batsman in the school cricket team, while also playing as a forward for the school football team. before being promoted to lieutenant in October 1904 while serving aboard . In the closing months of the war, he was promoted to the rank of commander in June 1918. and from 1923 to 1925, he was an assistant director of plans at the Admiralty. From there, he spent two years commanding the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean.

Lyon attended various senior officers' courses during the early 1930s and was promoted to commodore in July 1932, at which point he was appointed commodore commanding Home Fleet destroyers aboard . and in 1935 he was placed in command of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron until 1937. He was decorated by Portugal with the Military Order of Aviz (Grand Cross) in 1938. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Africa in April 1938 (one year prior to its reorganisation into the South Atlantic Station), In 1941, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, He held the post of Commander-in-Chief, The Nore until July 1943 and retired the following month, He would later make two further appearances in first-class cricket, either side of the First World War. The first, in 1911, came for a combined Army and Navy cricket team against a combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities team at Portsmouth, followed in 1922 with an appearance for the Royal Navy against the British Army cricket team at Lord's. In four first-class matches, he scored 185 runs at an average of 26.42, while with the ball he took 7 wickets at a bowling average of exactly 20.

Rugby union Lyon played his domestic rugby union for the Royal Navy and United Services, He was capped twice at international level for England as a full-back. His second Test cap came the following year as captain against Australia at Blackheath,

Family life and death Lyon was married in 1912 to Helenora Mary Pierson, with the couple having three sons; He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis in 1946, with Lyon dying in August 1947 at the King Edward VII Hospital near Midhurst in Sussex.