Expeditionary Force, 4th _s._ of George Wallace-Crabbe, of
Gordon, Byrom Street, St. Kilda, Australia, Legal Manager, by his
wife, Theresa, dau. of Francis Frederick Cluny, H.M.C., Adelaide,
and step-brother of Douglas Wallace-Crabbe, of 34, Buller Road,
Longsight, Manchester; _b._ Melbourne, 28 July, 1894; educ.
Trinity Grammar School, Kew, Victoria, and held a good position in a
large business firm. He had joined the 46th (Brighton Rifles) Regt.
Australian T.F., some time prior to the war, and on the outbreak of
war was a Captain and at once volunteered for Imperial service. He
stood 6 feet 2 inches, and was given a commission as Lieut. of the
14th Battn. Australian Imperial Force, left Australia with the second
reinforcements, and after some time in Egypt was sent with his battn.
to the Dardanelles, where he took part in the landing on 25 April,
and was almost continuously in action for six months. He was the
officer in command when Corpl. Jacka won his Victoria Cross at Quinn’s
Post, and throughout every action that followed showed conspicuous
bravery. Writing to his father from Gallipoli on 20 May, he gave the
following account of the incident: “We have just passed through two
very strenuous days and nights here. The Turks were heavily reinforced,
and made an attack on our position, and we inflicted terrible loss on
the attackers. One little incident during the attack may interest you.
The Turks, eight in number, got into a small section of our trench,
and as I was near we had to clear them out. Lieut. Boyle was wounded,
and Lieut. Hamilton killed in tackling the same job, before I came on
the scene. I got four boys, who made a rush at them, but were repulsed
with two wounded. Then I made as if we were going to attack again, and
threw some grenades at them, and the L.-Corpl. whom I have written the
memorandum about rushed in at the other end and fired ten shots. The
copy enclosed is what I have written to get Jacka a medal for conduct.
The General was greatly pleased with the way the attack was repulsed
right along, and Major Rankine, who was in command of our trench,
got great praise. All of us were personally congratulated by General
Godley, Brigadier Monash and Col. Courtney. This is an extract from
my report to headquarters: ‘I beg to report that at 5 a.m. on 19 May
L.-Corpl. Jacka, No. 4 Coy., 14th Battn. Australian Imperial Force,
under my instructions, rushed in at one end of the trenches whilst I
had a party engaging them at the other end, and shot seven Turks who
had forced and obtained a section of our trenches. L.-Corpl. Jacka and
a party of four had tried a previous bayonet rush, but were repulsed
with two casualties to us.’” Capt. Crabbe was mainly responsible for
the ascendancy which the 4th Brigade established on the enemy in bomb
fighting. He was killed while leading a desperate charge at Hill 60
at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, 24 Aug. 1915; _unm._ “Men who saw this
gallant officer lying dead,” wrote Sergt. Jacka, “say that he died with
a sweet smile on his face. ‘Killed in action’ was, perhaps, all that
you were told, but what death is there as noble as this, when you meet
it while leading your men in the thick of battle and fighting for your
King and country against such odds? The attack was made by 100 men from
the 14th Battn., 100 from the 13th and 50 from the 16th. Lieut. Crabbe
had been promoted to Capt. just previous to this, and being such a
brave, cool officer he had charge of the men. It was in this ill-fated
charge that he met his death. It was a desperate attack, and while
leading his men, a smoking revolver in his hand, he fell, shot through
the head. His sad and untimely death is greatly mourned by us. He was a
great favourite with all the men who knew him, and had made a name for
himself as a gallant leader, and had he lived through this engagement
a very high honour would have been conferred upon him.” He wrote a
treatise on platoon drill, and invented a new system of throwing hand
grenades, and dealing with enemy grenades.
[Illustration: =Keith Wallace-Crabbe.=]
=CRABTREE, WILLIAM=, 2nd Lieut., 8th (Service) Battn. Lincolnshire
Regt., only _s._ of the late William Henry Robinson Crabtree,
Civil Engineer, by his wife, Helen (39, Thome Road, Doncaster), dau. of
John William Blagbrough, of Manchester; _b._ Doncaster, 20 May,
1895; educ. North Eastern County School, Barnard Castle, and afterwards
started his training at the Brodsworth Colliery, with the view to
becoming a mining engineer. On the outbreak of war he applied for a
commission, and meantime joined as a private in the Public School camp,
then stationed at Epsom, where he stayed only a few days, when he was
gazetted to the 8th Battn. Lincolnshire Regt., 22 Sept. 1914. He was
killed in a taxi-cab accident while training, 10 Feb. 1915; _unm._
[Illustration: =William Crabtree.=]
=CRACKNELL, FREDERICK=, Gunner, 7885, R.M.A., H.M.S. Good Hope;
lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=CRADOCK, SIR CHRISTOPHER GEORGE FRANCIS MAURICE=, K.C.V.O.,
C.B., Rear-Admiral, A.D.C. to His Majesty the King, 4th _s._ of
the late Christopher Cradock, of Hartforth, co. York, by his wife,
Georgina, dau. of Major Gordon Duff, 92nd Highlanders; _b._
Hartforth, Richmond, co. York, 2 July, 1862; educ. Richmond Grammar
School, and Amyat Burney’s, Gosport; entered the Royal Navy 15 Jan.
1875; became Sub-Lieut. 21 Dec. 1881; Lieut. 30 June, 1885; Commander,
31 Aug. 1896; Capt., 18 April, 1901, and Rear-Admiral, 24 Aug. 1910;
served during British occupation of Cyprus, 1878; present as Midshipman
H.M.S. Pallas at hoisting by that ship of the Union Jack at Paphos and
Limasol, 1878; in Upper Egypt, 1884; landed as Sub.-Lieut. with Naval
Brigade for garrison duties; and with the Eastern Sudan Field Force as
A.D.C. to the Governor-General of the Red Sea; present at the Battle of
Tokar, 19 Feb. 1891, and subsequent occupation of Affafit (mentioned
in Despatches; medal with Tokar clasps; Khedive’s Bronze Star; 4th
Medjidie); was First Lieut. H.M.S. Dolphin on the occasion of the
rescue by that ship of the officers and crew of the Brazilian corvette
Almirante Barroza, which was totally wrecked off Ras Dib, 1892; Lieut.
in Royal Yacht, 1894–6; when Commander H.M.S. Alacrity, commanded the
Allied landing party at the storming and capture of the Taku forts, 17
July, 1900, and subsequently commanded the British Naval Brigade, and
directed the British, American, Italian, and Japanese forces, on the
advance to, and relief of, Tientsin, and in the relief of Sir Edward
Seymour’s column at Siku (noted for promotion for gallantry; medal with
Taku clasp); present with Naval Brigade at the capture of the Peiyang
Arsenal, Tientsin, 27 June, 1900 (Relief of Pekin Clasp; 2nd Class
Order of the Crown of Prussia with swords); created C.B., 26 June,
1902, and M.V.O. (4th Class), 21 April, 1903, on the occasion of the
visit of King Edward VII to Malta; decorated with the Royal Spanish
Order of Naval Merit, 1906; awarded Testimonial of the Royal Humane
Society for jumping overboard at night in Palmas Bay, Sardinia, 1904,
and saving the life of a drowning midshipman; was Flag Capt. to Admiral
Sir Baldwin Walker, commanding the cruisers which found and shadowed
the Russian Fleet after the Dogger Bank Incident; Naval A.D.C. to His
Majesty King Edward VII, 9 Feb. 1909 to 24 Aug. 1910; Rear-Admiral of
the Atlantic Fleet (3rd Battle Squadron) Aug. 1911, to Aug. 1912; was
at Gibraltar when the P. & O. s.s. Delhi, with the Duke and Duchess
of Fife and their daughters on board, stranded off Cape Spartel, on
the night of 12 Dec. 1911; received the appreciation of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty for “courage and energy displayed” on
this occasion, and was created a K.C.V.O. (28 Feb. 1912), and awarded
the Silver Medal of the Board of Trade for saving life; Commanding
Training Squadron, 1912, to 8 Feb. 1913; appointed Rear-Admiral and
Senior Naval Officer, West Atlantic (4th Cruiser Squadron), 8 Feb.
1913; hoisted his flag on H.M.S. Good Hope (Armoured cruiser) after
the outbreak of war, and was lost in action off Coronel, on the coast
of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. The Official report states “During Sunday, 1
Nov. the Good Hope, Monmouth, and Glasgow came up with the Scharnhorst,
Gneisenau, Leipzig, and Dresden. Both squadrons were steaming south in
a strong wind and considerable sea. The German squadron declined action
until sunset, when the light gave it an important advantage. The action
lasted an hour. Early in the action both the Good Hope and the Monmouth
took fire, but fought on until nearly dark, when a serious explosion
occurred on the Good Hope, and she foundered.... The action appears to
the Admiralty to have been most gallantly contested, but in the absence
of the Canopus the enemy’s preponderance of force was considerable.”
A Public Memorial was put up in York Minster: another at Dungavel
Private Chapel by the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton; a window at Gilling
Church by Countess Fitzwilliam, and a tablet at Gilling Church by the
Family. He was author of “Sporting Notes in the Far East,” “Wrinkles in
Seamanship or a help to Salt Horse,” “Whispers from the Fleet,” etc.,
etc. He was _unm._
[Illustration: =Sir C. G. F. M. Cradock.=]
=CRAGG, GEOFFREY ETHELBERT=, Solicitor, Sergt., No. 1745, 5th
Battn. Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of the late
Anthony Richard Cragg. Estate Agent to Sir Jeremiah Colman, Gatton
Park, of Warleigh, Eversfield Road, Reigate, Surrey, and Author of
“Hints to Young Valuers” and many other works, by his wife, Alice
Louise, dau. of the late Norcliffe William Glendinning, of Ambleside;
_b._ Hereford, 25 Feb. 1888; educ. Hoe Preparatory School
and Reigate Grammar School; served his articles with Morrison and
Nightingale, of Reigate and Redhill, and was admitted a solicitor
in July, 1910. He was appointed Deputy Coroner for East Surrey in
1912, and was probably the youngest Deputy Coroner in the country. He
had joined the Royal West Surrey Territorials in 1912, and when war
broke out was in training with his regiment on Salisbury Plain. He
immediately signed on for the period of the war, and was sent to India
with his regt. Cragg was one of those who volunteered for service in
the Persian Gulf, when, in Aug. 1915, a call was made for a further
draft of men from the 5th Queen’s to join the 2nd Norfolks, then in
Mesopotamia, and his keenness is shown by the fact that he was willing
to revert to the rank of Corpl. in order to go. He took part in the
action on 27–28 Sept., and died of dysentery, at Kut-el-Amara, 17 Oct.
1915; _unm._ Col. Brodrick wrote to Mrs. Cragg: “Your son was a
splendid fellow. His devotion to duty at all times was wonderful. We
shall miss him terribly, but he died, as he would have wished, doing
his duty, and the regt. is proud of him.”
[Illustration: =Geoffrey Ethelbert Cragg.=]
=CRAMPTON, CHARLES THEODORE=, Stoker, P.O. 294717, H.M.S. Hawke;
lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914;
_m._
=CRANE, CHARLES EDWARD=, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. Duke of Cornwall’s
L.I., eldest _s._ of Charles Arnold Crane, of The Reddings,
Cheltenham, by his wife, Georgina, dau. of the Rev. Thomas Walker,
Rector of Abbots Morton, Worcestershire; _b._ Birlingham, co.
Worcester, 18 Feb. 1892; educ. Oakfield, Rugby, Cheltenham College,
and Sandhurst; gazetted to the 1st Battn. Duke of Cornwall’s L.I. 4
Sept. 1912, and served with his regt. in Ireland in the spring of 1914
in connection with the troublous time in Belfast. On the outbreak of
war he went with his regt. to the Front, was wounded in the Battle of
the Aisne, 14 Sept. 1914, and died from wounds, at Mont de Soissons
Farm, four days later, being buried near Mont de Soissons, between the
village of Nampteuil-sous-Muret and Serches, 7 miles from Soissons, and
1 mile from Serches, overlooking the Valley of the Aisne; _unm._
His commanding officer, Lieut.-Col. M. N. Turner, in writing to his
father, paid a high tribute to his worth and courage: “Your boy was
absolutely brave and good. We were all so very fond of him, and he was
such an excellent officer. He was absolutely fearless, and one of the
best.” An officer wrote: “He was hit on 14 Sept, when doing real good,
brave work. He did his work before he was hit, and it took a bit of
doing. Another good soldier and leader, and another gallant officer! We
miss him very much; we all liked him so tremendously.” Sergt. Blaclock
declared that “He was always to the front in the call of duty, and
the men who have had the honour to serve with him at home or on the
battlefield will, I am sure, always feel proud of him, and he will
always be remembered as one of the bravest and best.” And L.-Corpl.
J. Horan, 1st Duke of Cornwall’s L.I., wrote: “I had the pleasure of
serving with your gallant son. All through the famous retreat from Mons
it will always live in my memory his kindness to me; that was when we
started the advance. He picked me up where I was lying by the road one
night and put me in an ambulance wagon, and also another Private; we
both owe our lives to him. He was most kind and considerate in all his
orders, and would never ask his men to go to any place he would not go
himself. We had trying times, especially on 26 Aug., when he took us
out of the village Le Chateau. I don’t remember him losing any of his
platoons. It was a dreadful ordeal, for they were firing upon us in
all directions. His conduct was brilliant in the extreme; it was his
coolness that got us out of it. I cannot express his kindness, for on
the retreat I have seen him carrying the men’s rifles. He would give us
chocolates and cigarettes, or whatever he had he would give to any one.
I cannot speak too highly of him.” Numerous other letters refer to him
in like terms of admiration and respect.
[Illustration: =Charles Edward Crane.=]
=CRASCALL, COULSON HENRY=, A. B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 2577), 177293,
H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=CRAVEN, EDWARD=, Stoker. 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 7125), S.S.
101858, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=CRAVEN, THOMAS=, Deckhand, R.N.R., 1386 D.A., Royal Naval
Reserve; _b._ Cleckheaton, co. York, 26 Feb. 1872; educ. Church
Schools, Liversedge, co. York; was in the employ of Messrs. Hillyer,
of Hull; joined the Royal Naval Reserve at the outbreak of war, and
was drowned in the North Sea by falling overboard during a gale, while
surveying on H.M. armed trawler Viola in the North Sea, 7 Nov. 1914. He
was buried with naval honours at Lerwick; _unm._
=CRAVEN, THOMAS=, Stoker, P.O. (R.F.R., A. 1917/), 154699, H.M.S.
Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=CRAWFORD, ALEXANDER PRATT=, Private, No. 7049, 1st Battn. Queen’s
Own Cameron Highlanders, 2nd _s._ of Charles Crawford, of Leith,
Wine and Spirit Merchant, by his wife, Agnes Lumsden (11, Annfield,
Newhaven), dau. of the late Peter Seton, of Edinburgh; _b._ Leith,
17 Feb. 1887; educ. at Trinity Academy, Leith; enlisted 29 Sept. 1904,
and was killed in action at the Aisne, 14 Sept. 1914; _unm._
=CRAWFORD, EDWARD=, Lieut., 3rd Battn. Royal Inniskilling
Fusiliers, 7th surviving and yst. twin _s._ of the late Robert
Crawford, of Stonewold, Ballyshannon, C.E., D.L., Professor of
Engineering in Trinity College, Dublin, 1882–87, by his second wife,
Anna, dau. of the late Thomas Troubridge Stubbs, of Ballyshannon;
_b._ Stonewold, Ballyshannon, co. Donegal, 23 Nov. 1880; educ.
Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, and Cheltenham College; gazetted
2nd Lieut. 4th (now the 3rd) Battn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 30
April, 1906, and promoted Lieut. 14 July, 1908. He went to the Front,
Oct. 1914. and was attached to the 2nd Battn. Royal Irish Rifles
in Flanders; he was invalided home in Dec. 1914, having contracted
frostbite in the trenches. On recovery he again went to the Front,
where he was attached to the 2nd Battn. Royal Irish Regt., and died at
the British Hospital, Wimereux, France, 27 May, 1915, as the result of
gas poisoning and wounds received while in action about 25 May. He was
buried in the cemetery at Wimereux; _unm._
[Illustration: =Edward Crawford.=]
=CRAWFORD, HUGH=, A.B. (R.F.R. B., 10852), S.S. 2908, H.M.S.
Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct.
1914; _m._
=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.”
[Illustration: =Richard Gilpin Crawford.=]
=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._
[Illustration: =William John Crawford.=]
=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.