Norman Arthur Shortland and Betty Margaret Shortland nee Hodierne.
A shorter version of this narrative can be found at
B24.6.
Norman Arthur Shortland was born in Coventry on July 6 1916, the elder son of Arthur John Shortland and his wife Beatrice Elizabeth nee Duckham. By the time of the 1939 register he was living at home with the rest of the family in Stoke, Coventry, where he was working as a transport manager. He had begun working as an office boy in 1933 at Mortons (BRS) Ltd, and later rose to become company chairman. When war broke out he served as a Staff Captain in the Armoured Brigade, Eighth Army, serving in Egypt and Italy. He was mentioned in despatches.
On June 20 1940 he married
Betty Margaret Hodierne.
The couple went on to have two daughters, and lived at Finham Green Farm.
Well-known locally as a first-class cricketer, Norman was active as such between 1938 and 1950. He had first come to attention as cricket captain at Stoke School. He made his professional debut in first-class cricket for Warwickshire in the 1938 County Championship against Glamorgan at Edgbaston. He made a further appearance in 1939 against Worcestershire, before making seven first-class appearances in 1939. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional medium-paced bowler.
Following the war he returned to playing first-class cricket as an amateur for Warwickshire in 1946, in which season he made ten first-class appearances. He continued to play occasionally until 1950, making his final two appearances in first-class cricket against Essex and Lancashire.
An enthusiastic all-round sportsman, in the winter months Norman played rugby for Nuneaton R.F.C., and in his youth he played at schoolboy level for England in 1931. He became a director of Coventry City in 1971.
Following retirement from Mortons in 1970 he became a director at Wyndon Motors (Coventry) Ltd, a vehicle repair shop, and Whitley Garage.
Norman died on March 14 1973, at the early age of 56. His cremated remains were interred in Stoneleigh Churchyard on March 20, the funeral having been held the previous day. Norman bequeathed £100 to the church, and the money was used to create a beautiful cover for the font, in his memory. It was designed and created by Mr Syd Hancox.
Betty, the daughter of Horace Hodierne and Hilda Helena nee Farren, lived to the great age of 92. She had been born on February 16 1921, and died on January 18 2014; her cremated remains were interred with her husband's on May 22.
Together, Norman and Betty are commemorated by a memorial stone here at
F1.11 and by a bench along the pathway at
B24.6.