Sidney Boucher

Captain Sidney Boucher (17 September 1899 – 4 August 1963), also known as Sam Boucher, was an English Royal Navy officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. He played first-class cricket for Royal Navy Cricket Club between 1923 and 1929 as well as playing one match for Kent County Cricket Club in 1922.

Early life Boucher was born in Rochester, Kent, the second son of Franklin and Ada Boucher. His father was a solicitor who served as the Town Clerk of Gillingham and in the 1920s was Treasurer of Rochester; he was granted the freedom of the Borough of Rochester in 1932.

Boucher and his brother Noël were both educated at Dumpton House Preparatory School in Ramsgate. From there Boucher went on to the Royal Naval College, Osborne in September 1912 where he became Chief Cadet Captain. In September 1914 he moved on to Royal Naval College, Dartmouth before being appointed to his first naval posting in June 1915.

Naval career Boucher's first appointment in June 1915 was as a midshipman on the dreadnought battleship HMS Colossus stationed at Scapa Flow as part of the Grand Fleet. He commanded HMS Lowestoft in the Far East between 1936 and 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War and by the start of World War II he held the post of assistant director of physical training and sports at the Admiralty. He was a left-arm opening bowler for the Navy and batted left-handed.

As well as his role in Navy cricket, Boucher was also the Secretary and a selector for the Royal Navy Football Association and the Royal Marines Football Association.

Boucher was married twice during the inter-war period, first to Phyllis Ellershaw in 1924 and then Betty Holt in 1938. He died in 1963 aged 63 at his home in Wadhurst in Sussex.