Norman Grace

Norman Vere Grace DL (31 July 1894 – 20 February 1975) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer.

A member of the famous cricketing Grace family, he was born to the Test cricketer E. M. Grace in July 1894 at Thornbury, Gloucestershire.[1] He was educated at Wellington College,[2] before joining the Royal Navy. He graduated from Britannia Royal Naval College in 1912, entering into service as a midshipman.[3] Grace served in the navy during the First World War, during the latter stages of which he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.[4] Following the war he played first-class cricket for the Royal Navy against the British Army cricket team at Lord's in 1920, claiming five wickets on debut.[5][6] Three years later in December 1923, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander.[7] He made two further first-class appearances for the Royal Navy against the Army in 1923 and 1927,[5] though he took only a further two wickets in these matches.[8] In July 1929, he was promoted to the rank of commander,[9] before being promoted to the rank of captain in June 1937.[10]

Grace served during the Second World War, captaining firstly the minelayer HMS Adventure from 1940–42, for which he was mentioned in dispatches,[11] and later the heavy cruiser HMS Berwick between January–August 1944.[3] From September 1944 to January 1946, he commanded HMS Vernon when it was based at Roedean School and oversaw its return back to Portsmouth after the war.[12] After relinquishing his command of Vernon, Grace was appointed as a naval aide-de-camp to George VI in February 1946.[13] Four months later he retired from active service.[14] He later served as a deputy lieutenant for Gloucestershire in 1960.[15] Grace died in February 1975 at Amberley, Gloucestershire. He had married Lilla Marguerite Spiller in County Cork in 1932, with the couple having two sons.[2]