Clive Vallack Single, D.S.O., M.B., (17 September 1888 – 10 July 1931) was an Australian cricketer, baseballer, soldier, and medical practitioner. He played two first-class matches for New South Wales in 1912, and three interstate baseball matches for New South Wales in 1911; and, having enlisted in December 1914, he served as a medical officer in the First AIF, in the Middle East, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel — he was awarded a D.S.O. in 1919, and was twice Mentioned in Despatches.

Family One of the six sons and two daughters of Henry Ernest Single (1855–1930),Deaths: Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Thursday, 2 October, 1930, P.8.Death of Mr. H.E. Single, The Nepean Times, (Saturday, 11 October 1930), p.7. and Mary Judith Single, née Vallack (1858–1937),Deaths: Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday, 6 July 1937), p.10. of "Wandoona", Wollar, near Mudgee, he was born in Burwood, on 17 September 1888.Births: Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday, 25 September 1888), p1. Several of his brothers were also talented cricketers:The Singles of Cricket, The Referee, (Wednesday, 10 September 1919), p.1. one of whom, Raymond Vallack Single (1917), was killed in action on 26 September 1917.Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Single's Soldier Sons, The Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, (Thursday, 14 August 1919), p.17.Australian War Memorial: Embarkation Roll: Captain Raymond Vallack Single; Australian War Memorial: First World War Nominal Roll: Captain Raymond Vallack Single; ,Australian War Memorial: Roll of Honour: Captain Raymond Vallack Single; National Archives of Australia: World War I Service Record: Captain Raymond Vallack Single.

Clive married Verania "Rania" McPhillamy, O.B.E., M.B.E. (1899–1961), the eldest daughter of Charles Smith McPhillamy (1859–1935),Mr. Charles McPhillamy, The Bathurst National Advocate, (Wednesday, 23 January 1935), p.2. and Alice Kay McPhillamy, née Halloran (1861–1938)Marriages, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Monday, 13 August 1883), p.1; Deaths: McPhillamy, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Monday, 1 August 1938), p.10; The Bathurst National Advocate, (Tuesday, 2 August 1938), p.2. – Verania had captained the Ascham cricket team whilst she was there as a boarding student in 1906Fulloon, 1986. – at "Waroo", Forbes on 21 June 1920.The National Advocate, 24 June 1920; The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 July 1920. Single's best man was Colonel B.V. Stacey, (1886–1971) C.M.G.See Lincoln, M. & Lloyd, D.E., "Stacy, Bertie Vandeleur (1886–1971)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 12, Melbourne University Press, (Parkville), 1990).

They had four children:Rodgers (1999), p.24.Obituary: Dr. C.V. Single, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Monday, 13 Jul 1931), p.2. a son, Clive Vallack Single (1924–1990),Births: Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Friday 31 October 1924), p.8; World War II Service Record: Clive Vallack Single (432887); Papua New Guinea Administration: Personal File: Clive Vallack Single (ex-R.A.A.F.); Vale December 1990: Clive Vallack, Papua New Guinea Association of Australia. and three daughters, Rania Alice Vallack Murray, née Single (1921–1994),Births: Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday 26 July 1921), p.8; About the Town, The (Sydney) Sun, (Sunday, 11 March 1945), p.12. Denise May Vallack Lovell, née Single (1923–1975),Births: Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Friday, 16 March 1923), p.8; Engagements: Lovell—Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Saturday, 30 June 1951), p.36. and Ann (a.k.a. Polyann) Dewar, née Single (1927–1999).Social Jottings, The Australian Women's Weekly, (Wednesday 6 August 1955), p.31; Social Jottings, The Australian Women's Weekly, (Wednesday 17 August 1955), p.27; https://www.castlemenzies.org/saving-and-restoring-castle-menzies Dr. Albert Duncan (Bill) Dewar, MBE, Castle Menzies.

Education Educated at Mudgee Grammar School,University of Sydney: Matriculation Examination, The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph, (Friday, 20 March 1908), p.9. and, from 1908,Uni. Deferred Exams: Additional Results: Faculty of Medicine, The Evening News, (Saturday, 20 March 1909), p.7. at the University of Sydney, from whence he graduated M.B. in 1913.Masters and Bachelors: University Degrees, The (Sydney) Sun, (Sunday, 13 April 1913), p.2: Note that the "*" next to his name indicates that his degree had "already been conferred".

Baseball At university, he played baseball, at first base, for several years,For example, in 1910, against Petersham (Baseball, The (Sydney) Sunday Times, (Sunday, 14 August 1910), p10). and also played first base for the New South Wales interstate team in all of its three games against Victoria in 1911.For example, Baseball, The Daily Telegraph, (Wednesday, 26 July 1911), p.16.

Cricket Single, "who was looked upon as one of the greatest slip fielders in New South Wales",Obituary: Dr. C.V. Single, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Monday, 13 Jul 1931), p.2. played cricket for the University of Sydney team, including two First Grade Premiership teams (in 1910/1911 and 1911/1912), receiving a "blue", for cricket, in 1912.Presentation of Blues, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Monday, 27 May 1912), p.5.Sydney University Cricket team, 1912-13, Saturday Referee and The Arrow (Saturday, 26 April 1913), p.2.Davis, J.C., "Now I Remember: Exit Two Cricketers Who Played Well Their Parts, The Referee, (Wednesday, 29 July, 1931), p.12.

A talented cricketer with both bat and ball,Personal: A Mudgeee Boy, The Referee, (Wednesday, 7 August 1918), p.1. he played in two Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales, against Western Australia in November 1912.Interstate Cricket, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday, 12 November 1912), p.10; Interstate Cricket, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday, 19 November 1912), p.5.Photograph of Single, with the caption "C.V. Single, of the University Club. He is an all-round player of considerable promise. Against the West Australians in his first interstate engagements he scored 0, 72, 12, and 54" at The Evening News, (Friday, 22 November 1912), p.10.

Following his graduation from university, and prior to his enlistment in December 1914, he played for Glebe Cricket Club in the 1913/1914 and 1914/1915 seasons.Rodgers (1999), p.23.He appears in the team lists as "Dr. C.V. Single" (e.g., The Referee, 19 November 1913) After the war he played for Western Suburbs in the 1919/1920 season.Ups & Downs in Cricket, The Referee, (Wednesday, 24 December 1919), p.9.

Once settled in Moree, he played impressive cricket for various local teams, and was routinely selected in the Moree Cricket Association's representative teams.See Local Cricket Competition, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Thursday, 3 February 1921), p.2; Cricket Notes, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Thursday, 9 March 1922), p.2; Moree v. N.W. Slopes, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Thursday, 4 January 1923), p.2; Cricket, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Thursday, 6 March 1924), p.5; Woods Challenge Cup, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Thursday, 19 March 1925), p.2; and Milk!, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Thursday, 24 September 1925), p.2. In (perhaps) his last match at Moree, aged 37, he took 8 wickets for 28 runs; the match report noted that "the genial doctor … [its] chief attacking force … has been a tower of strength to [his representative team] … [and] in the three matches in which he has played [this season] he has taken 20 wickets for 75 runs — 6 for 17, 6 for 30, and 8 for 28."Cricket, The Northwest Champion, Moree, (Monday, 23 November 1925), p.5.

Military service He enlisted for military service on 24 December 1914, and served in the Dardanelles in the Gallipoli Campaign, and in Egypt. On 23 March 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and placed in charge of the 4th Australian Light Horse Field Ambulance and served there, in Egypt, until he was demobilized in 1919.Personal, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Friday, 5 September 1919), p.6; U of Sydney, Book of Remembrance. He was awarded a D.S.O in 1919,Renshaw (2014), p525; Australian War Memorial: Recommendation for Honour/Award: September 1918: Clive Vallack Single; Australian War Memorial: Recommendation for Honour/Award: September 1918: Clive Vallack Single; Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.113, (6 October 1919), p.1462: Distinguished Service Order: Major (temporary Lieutenant Colonel) Clive Vallack Single. and was twice Mentioned in Despatches.Australian War Memorial: Recommendation for Honour/Award: General Despatch: Clive Vallack Single; Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.173, (7 November 1918), p.2113: Mentioned in Despatches: Army Medical Corps: Major C.V. Single;. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.113, (6 October 1919), p.1466: Mentioned in Despatches: 1st Military District: Major (temporary Lieutenant Colonel) C.V. Single.

Medical practice Registered as a medical practitioner from 9 April 1913,Register of Medical Practitioners for 1914, New South Wales Medical Board, (Sydney), 10 December 1913, p.363 (New South Wales Government Gazette, No.11, 21 January 1914). immediately post-war, he moved to Moree and practised there from 1920 to 1926;Register of Medical Practitioners for 1921, New South Wales Medical Board, (Sydney), 8 December 1920, p.302 (New South Wales Government Gazette, No.9, 21 January 1921). and, then, following a family trip to England,Presentation to Dr. Single, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Friday, 11 December 1925), p.12; Valedictory: To Dr. C.V. Single, The Northwest Champion, Moree, (Thursday, 10 December 1925), p.7. he and his family settled in Woollahra in 1926, and he conducted his medical practice from rooms in Macquarie Street, Sydney until his death.Obituary: Dr. C.V. Single, Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, (Monday, 13 Jul 1931), p.2.Register of Medical Practitioners for 1931, New South Wales Medical Board, (Sydney), 10 December 1930, p.242 (New South Wales Government Gazette, No.7, 10 January 1931).

See also List of New South Wales representative cricketers

Notes

Footnotes

References Calendar of the University of Sydney for the Year 1914, Angus and Robertson, (Sydney), 1914. Fulloon, G. "McPhillamy, Verania (1889–1961)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, Melbourne University Press, (Parkville), 1986. A Western Romance, The (Bathurst) National Advocate, (Thursday, 24 June 1920), p1. Weddings: Single—McPhillamy, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Saturday, 3 July 1920), p7. Australian War Memorial: First World War Embarkation Roll: Clive Vallack Single Australian War Memorial: First World War Nominal Roll: Clive Vallack Single National Archives of Australia: World War I Service Record: Clive Vallack Single University of Sydney: Book of Remembrance Entry: Clive Vallack Single Renshaw, A. (ed), Wisden on the Great War: The Lives of Cricket's Fallen 1914–1918, John Wisden and Co, (London), 2014. Rodgers, J., "More Than Just Cricketers - Sydney University Cricket Club, Premierships and One of the Links with the Great War: Clive Vallack Single, Sydney University Cricket Club 134th Annual Report 1998–1999, (Sydney), 1999, pp.21-26.

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