Following the recent sad death of past Priory club captain and chairman, Bryan Shields, his
family have donated some of Bryan’s cricket memorabilia to the club. What they reveal is
that Bryan’s grandfather, Sir Douglas Andrew Shields was the surgeon who arguably saved
Don Bradman’s life. The 1934 Australian tour had seen the Don in poor health, which
culminated in Bryan’s grandfather carrying out an emergency operation on him for acute
appendicitis. Sir Douglas was Australian but had moved to the UK to set up his own hospital
in London.
The Don became a firm family friend of the Shields, stayed at their home on several
occasions, pushing Bryan in his pram in 1934 and keeping in touch with him thereafter. The
memorabilia left to the club includes books by the Don, signed by him with personal
messages to the family. There is also a personal letter to Bryan with autographs of the
Australia and England sides from 1947.
The picture shows Bryan in his first year of club captaincy in 1964.