Stan Sismey

Who was Stan Sismey?

Stanley George Sismey OAM was an Australian cricketer. Sismey, who achieved the rank of Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, was the official Commanding Officer of the Australian Services XI that played England in the Victory Test series that followed VE Day. He was not, however, the on-field Captain, an honour bestowed upon pre-war test cricketer Lindsay Hassett. Sismey was the team's wicketkeeper and a middle order batsman during the five unofficial test matches.

In 1942, Sismey was seriously wounded when the flying boat of which he was the co-pilot was attacked by fighter aircraft of the Vichy French Air Force, over the Mediterranean Sea off Algeria. He received multiple wounds in his back from shrapnel. These injuries sometimes affected Sismey long after his recovery: he had to leave a ground during at least one game, because a piece of metal had begun to work its way out of his body. During the Services XI's tour of India in 1945, Sismey withdrew from the team temporarily so that surgeons could remove shrapnel.

Although his cricket career was disrupted by the war, Sismey played 35 first-class matches between 1938 and 1952, mostly for New South Wales. He took 88 catches, made 18 stumpings and was a right-hand batsman with a first-class average of 17.68.