A pre-war officer of the Auxiliary Air Force, he died as a result of a mid-air collision in a training accident in the Second World War.
Ashton's mother, Victoria, was the daughter of Sir John Eardley Wilmot Inglis, who commanded the British forces at the Siege of Lucknow, and Julia Selina Thesiger.
Oxford batted all the first day, and during the night a severe thunderstorm with a deluge of rain completely altered the conditions at Lord's, with the result that Cambridge were dismissed twice and beaten on the Tuesday by an innings and 227 runs, the most overwhelming defeat in the whole series of university matches and the three most decisive results to occur consecutively.
In reply, Essex managed 408 in the first innings, with centuries from Dudley Pope and Jack O'Connor, while Ashton could only contribute 11.
[8] A few days later, he made his highest first-class score of 118 against Surrey (again at Brentwood), helping O'Connor put on 287 for the fifth wicket, a then Essex record, in a total of 570, which brought victory by an innings and 192.
His fourth and final century came against Gloucestershire in July 1936, when he scored 100 in a drawn match, thereby passing a career total of 4500 runs.
[11] His first-class cricket career spanned 18 years from 1921 to 1938 during which he scored an aggregate of 4723 runs at an average of 24.98, took 139 wickets as a bowler, and held 113 catches.
Whilst at university, he joined his two brothers at Corinthian, making his first appearance on 18 December 1920 playing at wing-half in a 4–2 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.
He increased the lead two minutes before the break after a cross from Hegan, when he "proceeded to slot the ball gently past the surprised goalkeeper".
[13] He also scored Corinthian's consolation goal in a 3–1 defeat by Newcastle United at Crystal Palace in front of a crowd of 56,338 on 29 January 1927.
[14] In his career with Corinthian, he played a total of 208 matches, only exceeded by Tommy Whewell and Benjamin Howard Baker, and scored 145 goals.
909 (County of Essex) (Balloon) Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force on 5 July 1938,[18] he was promoted to flying officer later that year.
[20] On 25 February 1942 he transferred to the General Duties Branch for flight training, reverting to the rank of flying officer.
256 Squadron RAF and was killed on 31 October 1942,[22] when as a navigator/observer flying in a Bristol Beaufighter X7845 it collided in mid-air with a Vickers Wellington during a training mission near Caernarfon, North Wales.
The pilot of his Beaufighter was Squadron Leader Roger Winlaw, a fellow Old Wykehamist who had played 52 games for Cambridge and Surrey.