Charles Owen Hezlet, DSO (16 May 1891 – 22 November 1965)[1] was an Irish amateur golfer and part-time soldier. He was runner-up in the 1914 Amateur Championship and was in the British Walker Cup team in 1924, 1926 and 1928.
| Charles Hezlet | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Charles Owen Hezlet |
| Born | 16 June 1891 Sheerness, Kent, England |
| Died | 22 November 1965 (aged 74) East Grinstead, Sussex, England |
| Sporting nationality |  Northern Ireland |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | 17th: 1928 |
| British Amateur | 2nd: 1914 |
Military career
editHezlet was commissioned into the part-time Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (Special Reserve) in 1911,[2] served during World War I and won a DSO while commanding a siege battery in 1918. He ended the war with the rank of major.[3][4][5] The citation for his DSO, which appeared in The London Gazette in July 1918, reads as follows:
For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an enemy attack. He kept his guns firing and encouraged his men until the enemy were within 300 yards of the battery. He remained at his post though the enemy's barrage had passed beyond the battery, and the machine-gun fire was very severe. Every round in the battery was fired. He gave a very fine example of coolness, courage and efficiency.
He was re-commissioned on the outbreak of World War II[6] and on 1 December 1940 he took command of the newly-formed 66th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Belfast. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and commanded the regiment during the Belfast Blitz, He remained in command until May 1942, after the regiment had crossed to Kent to train for active service overseas.[7][8][9]
Golf career
editIn 1914 he was runner-up in the Amateur Championship, losing 3&2 to James Jenkins. He was also runner-up in the 1923 and 1925 Irish Amateur Open Championship and the 1923 Welsh Open Amateur Championship. He won the Irish Amateur Open Championship in 1926 and 1929 and was in the Walker Cup team in 1924, 1926 and 1928. He was also a member of a team of four amateurs that played in South Africa in 1927/28.[9]
Amateur wins
edit- 1920 Irish Amateur Close Championship
- 1926 Irish Amateur Open Championship
- 1929 Irish Amateur Open Championship
Results in major championships
edit| Tournament | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | 17 | CUT |
Note: Hezlet only played in the Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Team appearances
editAmateur
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain): 1924, 1926, 1928
Family
editHezlet had three sisters who were also well-known amateur golfers: May, Violet and Florence. Hezlet married Annie Maitland Stuart in 1920. She died of pneumonia in Cannes, France, in 1931 aged 30.[10]
References
edit- ^ Charles Hezlet at "Find a will". probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ^ London Gazette, 21 February 1911.
- ^ London Gazette, 22 February 1918.
- ^ London Gazette, 18 July 1918.
- ^ London Gazette 20 April 1920.
- ^ London Gazette, 3 November 1939.
- ^ 66 LAA Rgt War Diary, 1940–41, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 166/2739.
- ^ 66 LAA Rgt War Diary, 1942, TNA file WO 166/7655.
- ^ a b "Lieut.-Col. C. O. Hezlet". The Times. 23 November 1965. p. 12.
- ^ Annie Hezlet at "Find a will". probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
External links
edit- . . Dublin: Alexander Thom and Son Ltd. 1923. p. – via Wikisource.