Wilfred Elles Bannerman[a] (8 September 1888 – 8 February 1944) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played in three first-class cricket matches for Otago between the 1911/12 and 1914/15 seasons.[1]
Bannerman played club cricket for Carisbrook Cricket Club[6][7] and for the Bank of New Zealand,[8][9] and made his Plunket Shield debut for Otago in December 1911 in a match against Canterbury. He played in two more first-class matches for Otago, one against Canterbury in December 1912 and the last against Southland in February 1915, as well as playing in at least two non first-class matches for the side.[10]
War service
By the time Bannerman played his final first-class match World War I had broken out and, shortly after his final match for Otago, he joined the New Zealand Army. He passed his medical in April 1915[11] and was posted to the Otago Infantry Regiment.[4] He was promoted to lance-corporal and later in the year embarked for Egypt where he served until he was declared unfit for active service on account of flat feet and varicose veins in his left foot―conditions which had been noted when he attested but which had been exacerbated by his service. He was sent back to New Zealand, arriving in 1917, and was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.[2]
^ abBannerman's middle name is spelled Elles according to his army records, where it has been corrected to be spelled this way on occasions. A number of sources spell it Ellis.