Part 53

=CRAWFORD, RICHARD GILPIN=, Lieut., Princess Patricia’s Canadian L.I., _s._ and only child of William C. Crawford, of Tilbury, Kent co., Ontario, President of the Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Railway, a member of the Municipal Council of Tilbury for 23 years and Chairman of the Council for 13 years, by his wife, Annie, dau. of Richard Thompson Gilpin, of St. Mary’s, Ontario; _b._ Tilbury, 12 Jan. 1892; educ. Common and High School in Tilbury, Upper Canada College, Toronto, and The Royal Military College, Kingston, being a Graduate there. He joined the 1st Canadian Contingent in Aug. 1914; left with it for England in Sept. following, and after being attached to the 9th Battn. at Salisbury, England, proceeded to France, 25 March, 1915, and was transferred to Princess Patricia’s Canadian L.I. He was twice wounded in the engagement at Bellewarde Lake, 8 May, 1915, and died in the Clearing Hospital at 2 p.m. the day following. He was buried at Bailleul, France; _unm._ Lieut. Crawford was recommended for distinguished service in the field by Major-Gen. Snow, commanding 27th Division, Canadian L.I., on account of his bravery in remaining under a very heavy shell and rifle fire to dig out some of his comrades from under their machine guns. The officer commanding Princess Patricia’s Canadian L.I. (Hugh L. Niven) wrote to his father: “Lieut. Crawford was wounded early in the morning of 8 May at Bellewarde Lake by a piece of high explosive shell that lit in the trench where he was attending to his duties. He was carried by four of the men of his company, who were exposed to heavy shell and machine gun fire, to a dug-out some 100 yards in rear. He was there properly bandaged by the medical orderlies and made comfortable. About noon the same day a large high explosive shell fell on the dug-out and Lieut. Crawford was again wounded, this time on his right foot. He was got out of this dug-out at once and taken to another one to the left, and was taken to our dressing station at dusk by the stretcher-bearers, and sent on from there in an ambulance to the closest hospital about 9 miles away, and he died there from his wounds. I saw a great deal of Lieut. Crawford, and I say in all sincerity that this regt. lost one of its most promising officers. His bravery was most remarkable, and his officers and men reported this to me on several occasions. He did not know what it was to be nervous even under the heaviest shell fire, and on the morning of 4 May, when they were shelling his trench, he dug out the machine gun section which were completely buried by a shell, and although several fell within 10 feet of him he never even noticed them, but continued digging as if he were miles away from harm. I was with him at the time, and it was worth while to listen to the men he helped to rescue telling him what they thought of his action. This is only one of many cases where he displayed the greatest gallantry. In fact, he was idolised by his men, and the whole regt. mourns one of the bravest soldiers that ever lived. When he was so seriously wounded he objected to any one making a fuss over him, and was always telling the orderlies to attend to some one else, and, as he was going away, he said he would be back right away, just as soon as he could get out of the hospital.”

=CRAWFORD, WILLIAM JOHN=, Sergt., No. 7791, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of William Frederick Crawford, Chintz Glazer; _b._ Camden Town, 8 March, 1889; enlisted 9 April, 1908; served in Egypt, 6 Jan. 1909, to 11 March, 1911, and with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders; was wounded at Landrecies in Aug. 1914, and invalided home, returning to the Front, 7 April, 1915, and was killed in action at Cambrin, 8 July, 1915, by a rifle grenade. He _m._ at Clapton, 7 March, 1915, Clara Annie (94, Dunlace Road, Clapton, London), dau. of Alfred Leonard Hughes, of London; _s.p._

=CRAWHALL, FRITZ PORTMORE=, 2nd Lieut., 6th Battn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps, yr. _s._ of the Rev. Edmund Isaac Laroche Crawhall, Vicar of Herriard, co. Hants, and later of Granton, co. York, by his wife, Isabella Duncan, dau. of Capt. James Grant, R.N.; _b._ Ryde, Isle of Wight, 15 Aug. 1897; educ. “Cordwalles,” Maidenhead, and Winchester College (scholar), and received his commission in the 6th King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 15 Aug. 1914. After the action at Neuve Chapelle on 10 March, 1915, he was officially reported “missing,” but his Capt. stated that he saw him fall dead in a German trench. He was captain of the College VI at Winchester, 1912–13 and 1913–14, and open classical postmaster of Merton College, Oxford.

=CRAWLEY, ARTHUR EDWARD=, Private, No. 10723, 1st Battn. Royal Scots, 4th _s._ of Alfred Thomas Crawley, of 14, Queen’s Road, Peckham, London, Printer, by his wife, Emma, dau. of T. Bennet; _b._ Bloomsbury, London, W.C., 23 March, 1891; educ. Colls Road L.C.C. School, Peckham; enlisted 10 Aug. 1910; served in India, 7 Oct. 1911 to Oct. 1914, and with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, 19 Dec. 1914 to 22 Jan. 1915, on which latter date he was killed in action at Veirstraat; _unm._

=CRAWLEY, HAROLD=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 7549), S.S. 102735, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CRAWLEY, JAMES=, Private, No. 12042, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, 3rd _s._ of the late John Crawley (died 1900), by his wife, Mary Ann (5, Puddle Dock, Willmington, Dartford, Kent), dau. of John Austin; _b._ Battersea; was a Farm Labourer; enlisted 9 Sept. 1914; went to France, 17 March, 1915, and was killed in action near Givenchy, 10 Aug. 1915; _unm._

=CRAYFORD, VICTOR=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch./9027, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CREAGH, AUBREY OSBORNE=, Capt., 120th Rajputana Infantry, Indian Army, _s._ of Major-Gen. William Creagh, Indian Army, and gdson. of General Sir Michael Creagh, K.H.; _b._ St. Leonards-on-Sea, 18 Sept. 1883; educ. The Grange, St. Leonards-on-Sea; Southlea; Great Malvern; United Services College, Westward Ho (1897–1900); and Royal Military College, Sandhurst (1901); gazetted 2nd Lieut. unattd. 18 Jan. 1902, and promoted Lieut. 18 April, 1904, and Capt. 12 July, 1911. Left for India in March, 1902, and was attd. to the Suffolks at Karachi, and later transferred to the Cheshires at Quetta. After a year with them he was appointed to the 120th Rajputana Infantry at Poona (10 April, 1903), going afterwards to Baroda; served on detachment duty at Buxa, N.E. Bengal, and commanded a detachment of 50 men of the 120th at Gyantse, Tibet, from Aug. 1909, to May, 1911, where he guarded the British Trade Agency. When war broke out he was on leave in Chumba (beyond Kashmir), and only heard of it on reaching Simla, receiving orders to rejoin his regt. He landed in the Persian Gulf in Nov. 1914, took part in the capture of Basra and the fight at Sahil on 17 Nov., after which the regt. was entrenched at Kurna for several weeks. Capt. Creagh was killed in the Battle at Shaiba, 14 April, 1915, being shot through the head. His commanding officer wrote: “He fell while leading his double company in the fiercest action that has taken place in this campaign; the regt. was well in the thick of it all, and finally participated in the bayonet charge at the end of the battle. Young Creagh has helped to create a name for this regt. which will not be forgotten. The regt. attacked a strong position over very open country, losing nearly 200 in casualties out of about 660.” He was buried on the battlefield; _unm._

=CREAN, THEODORE=, Capt., 1st Battn. Northamptonshire Regt., attached No. 4 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, only _s._ of the late Richard Crean, of Manchester, M.D., by his wife, Lucy Mary (Chester), dau. of Peter Bohngard; _b._ Manchester, 23 Oct. 1880: educ. Stonyhurst, and Gonville and Caius, Cambridge; received a commission in the 6th (Militia) Battn. of the Lancashire Fusiliers, Sept. 1900, and joined his regt. in South Africa in Jan.; served through the South African War, March, 1901 to 1902, receiving the Queen’s medal with five clasps. He then passed into the Regulars, being gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd Battn. of the Lancashire Fusiliers, 30 April, 1902, and promoted Lieut. 20 May, 1904, and transferred to Northants Regt. in May, 1908, and obtained his company, 14 June, 1913. He was attached to the West African Regt., 27 Oct. 1905 to 28 Sept. 1911, and was employed with the West African Frontier Force from 19 Feb. 1913; returning to England just before the outbreak of war. He was attached to the Royal Flying Corps, 4 Sept. 1914, and was shot down in an aeroplane while signalling to the artillery near Ypres, 26 Oct. 1914. He was buried at Gheluvelt, Flanders; _unm._ His commanding officer wrote: “Your son had done awfully good work with us, and at the moment of his death was doing splendidly in observing our artillery and signalling to them from the air. They had to fly low owing to clouds and were under a heavy fire. Your son and the pilot were killed instantly.”

=CREASER, WALTER=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., Ch. B. 9275), S.S. 106492, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CREES, ERNEST JAMES=, Chief Shipwright, 341595, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CREIGHTON, ROBERT=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 10097), S.S. 107757, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=CRESSWELL, ERNEST ALAN=, Corpl., No. 2205, 9th Battn. (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of Walter Cresswell, of North Villa, The Vale, Hampstead, by his wife, Jessie, dau. of Robert Henderson, Miniature Painter; _b._ Elstree, co. Herts, 29 March, 1892; educ. Hampstead, and was a decorative designer of great promise. Immediately war was declared he joined the Queen Victoria Rifles, went to France, 24 Jan. 1915, and was wounded at the capture of Hill 60 in April, 1915, being with Lieut. Woolley (the first Territorial officer to win the V.C.) when he gained that distinction. He had only rejoined his regt. a few days after being in hospital when he was killed in action near St. Eloi, 4 June, 1915; _unm._ He was buried at Elyenwalle Chateau, in Wood H (35b, Reference Map, Belgium, 28’/40,000). The papers appointing him Sergt. had just been made out when he was killed.

=CRESSWELL, JOHN LESLIE=, Private, R.M.L.I. (Ports.), 15838, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CREW, WILLIAM THOMAS=, Private, R.M.L.I. Ch./9398, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=CRICHTON, GERALD EDGECUMBE=, Private, No. 1928, 4th Battn. Australian Imperial Force, 2nd _s._ of the late William Crichton, of 18, Rotton Park Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, by his late wife, Bessie Eleanor, dau. of the late George Edgecumbe; _b._ Edgbaston, 8 Oct. 1886; educ. Edgbaston Preparatory School and King Edward’s School, Birmingham; went to Australia in Dec. 1907, and settled at Galong, N.S.W.; joined the Commonwealth Expeditionary Force in Feb. 1915, and was killed in action in a Turkish trench during the attack in Lone Pine district, Gallipoli, 6–7 Aug. 1915; _unm._

=CRICHTON, HUBERT FRANCIS=, Major, Irish Guards, only _s._ of Col. the Hon. Charles Frederick Crichton, of Mullaboden, Ballymore, late Grenadier Guards, by his wife, Lady Madeline, née Taylour, 2nd dau. of Thomas, 3rd Marquis of Headfort, K.P., P.C., and grandson of John, 3rd Earl Erne, K.P.: _b._ 95, Eaton Square, London, 17 Dec. 1874; educ. Eton and Sandhurst, and was gazetted to the Grenadier Guards, 15 Jan. 1896. He was promoted Lieut. 12 March, 1898, and two years later transferred to the Irish Guards, becoming Capt. 6 Oct. 1900, and Major, 25 March, 1908. He served with the Nile Expedition, 1898, being present at the Battle of Khartoum (medal with clasp), and in the South African war, 1902, when he was employed with the Imperial Yeomanry in the operations in Cape Colony; for this he received the Queen’s medal with two clasps. From 19 May, 1900, to 31 Dec. 1901, he had been Adjutant of the Irish Guards, and from 23 Oct. 1902, to 14 Feb. 1905, was A.D.C. to the Commander, 1st Army Corps. Aldershot. The Irish Guards formed part of the original Expeditionary Force to go to France, and Major Crichton was killed in action at Villers Cotterets, 1 Sept. 1914. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 7 Sept. 1914, for gallant and distinguished service in the field. He _m._ London, 14 July, 1903, Esther, dau. of Llewellyn Saunderson, of Kingstown, co. Dublin, and had two daus.: Doris Madeline, _b._ 29 May, 1904; and Enid Irene Adelaide, _b._ 27 Feb. 1907.

=CRICHTON, JOSEPH MICHAEL SMITH=, Private, No. 2199, 16th Battn. Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force, 4th _s._ of Alfred James Crichton, of Sunderland, by his wife, Ann (28, Sidecliff Road, Roker, Sunderland), dau. of Joseph Michael Smith; _b._ Sunderland, co. Durham, 16 March, 1889; educ. at Redby School, and went to Australia in April, 1912, where he took up farming. After the outbreak of war he joined the Commonwealth Expeditionary Force in April, 1915, went to Egypt with the 16th Battn. in July, and was killed in action on Lone Pine, 8 Aug. 1915; _unm._ He had volunteered with some other Australians and Indians on some very hazardous work when he met his death. His Adjutant said of him “That he always did excellent work, but, more particularly on the day of his death.”

=CRIPPS, GEORGE=, A.B., 206557, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CRIPPS, SPENCER HARRY=, Petty Officer, R.N.V.R., London 1/3501, Drake Battn. Royal Naval Division, only _s._ of William Henry Cripps, of Bradford-on-Avon, Draper; _b._ Buckingham, 24 June, 1882; educ. Bath; served in the South African War (medal), and on the outbreak of the European War, joined the R.N.V.R. in Sept. 1914, and was killed in action at the Dardanelles, 25 May, 1915. Lieut. Edward H. S. Bligh wrote: “He has been a great help to me ever since I first took charge of the 16th Platoon, and it did not take me long to single him out; it was not long before I was able to recommend him for the promotion he so well deserved. Just before his death I had lost him from the platoon, as he had been put in command of another platoon, and he was at the head of his men when he came under heavy fire and fell dead on 25 May, with a bullet through his brain. I was able to go out after dusk and to bury his body.” He _m._ at St. George’s Church, Brondesbury, 13 Feb. 1915, Winifred Louise, dau. of John Butler, of 8, Blenheim Gardens, Cricklewood; _s.p._

=CRISP, JAMES FREDERICK=, Seaman, R.N.R., 3607C, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CRITCHER, ALBERT=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch./17494, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CRITCHLEY, SIDNEY HERBERT=, Shipwright, 2nd Class, 345723, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CROCK, THOMAS=, P.O., 2nd Class (R.F.R., B. 4674), 158554, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CROCKER, FREDERICK CYRIL=, Sergt., No. 1865, No. 4 Platoon, 6th Battn. Northumberland Fusiliers (T.F.), _s._ of Lieut. John Crocker, of Claremont, Portishead, Somerset, formerly of Lerwick and Stornoway, R.N., Divisional Officer of Coast Guards, Southend Division, by his wife, Annie, dau. of the late James Bardsley; _b._ Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, 22 Dec. 1887; educ. Tate School, Wexford, and Anderson Institute, Lerwick, Shetland, and prior to the outbreak of war was an Officer of Excise at Gateshead. He joined the Northumberland Fusiliers at the beginning of 1914, volunteered for Imperial service when war began, was severely wounded in action at St. Julien, 26 April, 1915, while leading the platoon in a bayonet charge after his platoon officer, Lieut. Garton, had fallen, and died in the East Suffolk Hospital, Ipswich, 1 June, following. He _m._ at Glasgow, 10 June, 1911, Janet, dau. of Peter Macleod, of Stornoway, and had two daus.: Patricia Joan Mary, _b._ 28 April, 1912; and Annie Valerie, _b._ 4 Feb. 1915.

=CROCKFORD, CHARLES=, P.O., 1st Class., 198167, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=CROFTON, CHARLES WOODWARD=, Major, 9th (Service) Battn. Worcestershire Regt., formerly North Staffordshire Regt., _s._ of the Rev. Henry Woodward Crofton, formerly H.M. Chaplain at Rangoon and Simla, by his wife, Janette, dau. of Charles Butter, of Ingateston, Essex (attd. 5th Dragoon Guards as Medical Officer in Battle of Waterloo); _b._ Rugby, 8 Nov. 1864; educ. Haileybury and Oxford Military College, and received his commission as Lieut. from the Militia to the North Staffordshire Regt. (the old 98th), 25 Nov. 1885, and became Capt. 6 March, 1895, and Major, 14 March, 1905. He served in the Dongola Expedition (Egyptian medal with clasp), 1896, and was Station Staff Officer of the first grade in India from 6 July, 1902, to 31 May, 1904, and Brigade Major from 1 June, 1904, to 31 March, 1905. He had retired 6 Dec. 1913, but after the declaration of war immediately placed his services at the disposal of the War Office, and on 31 Aug. was gazetted to the 9th Worcesters as second in command to Lieut.-Col. M. H. Nunn. He went out with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, and was killed in action at Suvla Bay, 10 Aug. 1915. A brother officer wrote: “I can assure you your husband was a great credit to our Army, fearless and brave. He was never happy unless in a position to be at the head of our regt., and at the time he was killed we were in a very tight corner, and it meant at the time British determination to withhold the severe Turkish attack, and he was one of those to show a great example to the men.” Major Crofton _m._ at Mussoorie, India, 26 Dec. 1901, Catherine Mary (Culverley, Goda Road, Littlehampton), dau. of the late Charles Frederick Waverley Stowell, and had two children: Hugh Charles Henry, _b._ 19 Feb. 1915; and Kathleen Louisa, _b._ 23 Dec. 1902.

=CROMIE, MAURICE FRANCIS=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd, att. 2nd, Battn. Hampshire Regt., 2nd _s._ of the late Capt. Charles Francis Cromie, C.M.G., 37th Regt., Consul-General for Congo Free State at the time of his death, by his wife, Joanna Angela (Alresford, Hants), dau. of Julian Bargus Yonge, of Otterbourne, Hants, J.P., M.A. [Cadet of Yonge of Puslinch, Devon]; _b._ London, 29 July, 1895; educ. Blundell’s, Tiverton, and Dover College, where he was in the O.T.C.; obtained his commission, 15 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action at Gallipoli, 4 June, 1915: _unm._ His commanding officer wrote: “Lieut. Cromie’s loss was really a bitter blow to the regt. I had only known him a few days, and he had charge of the machine guns. When we went up to the front trenches prior to the assault he came twice with me on expeditions, and was so keen and cheerful about it all that I got him to come and live in my dug-out, and there we stayed together until the day. How it happened I do not know, but what I do know is that his guns arrived in the nick of time and later were instrumental in saving the situation.”

=CRONK, FRIEND=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 3574), 187623, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CRONK, WILLIAM GUY=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd Battn. (The Buffs) East Kent Regt. att. King’s Royal Rifle Corps, only _s._ of William Henry Cronk, of Suffolk Place, Sevenoaks, by his wife, Winifred Ruth, dau. of Lieut.-Col. C. N. Kidd; _b._ Sevenoaks, co. Kent, 28 April, 1893; educ. Eton and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 3rd Battn. East Kent Regt., 14 March, 1914, and attd. to the King’s Royal Rifles; went to France early in Oct., and was killed in action two miles S.E. of Zonnebeke, 26 Oct. 1914, while leading his platoon in an attack on the enemy trenches; _unm._

=CROOK, ALBERT GEORGE=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 5113), 196640, H.M.S. Good Hope, lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CROOK, JOSEPH=, Painter, 2nd Class, M. 3641, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CROSBY, JOHN CLIFFORD=, A.B., Ch. J. 2146, H.M.S. Cressy, only _s._ of the late Robert Crosby, Constable, North Riding Police Force, by his wife, Eleanor (112, Holden Street, Grangetown, Yorkshire), dau. of James Pease; _b._ Halifax, 18 May, 1892; educ. Grangetown Council School; joined the Navy, 11 Aug. 1908, and was lost in the North Sea when H.M.S. Cressy was torpedoed, 22 Sept. 1914; _unm._

=CROSLAND, JOHN HENRY=, A B. (R.F.R., B. 1661), 205430, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.