Francis Crowe

Francis Crowe

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Oct 1874
Place of Birth	Richmond, England
Age at Enlistment	40 years, 10 months
Description	5'5" (1.65m) tall ; 114lbs 51.709 kg ; fair complexion ; grey eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Clerk
Religion	Church of England
Address	Gosnells, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Frances Elizabeth Crowe
Military Information
Reg Number	2624A
Date of Enlistment	16 Aug 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement, transferred to 51st Battalion
Date of Embarkation	2 Nov 1915 ‒ 26 Nov 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A38 Ulysses
Date of Return	8 Apr 1917
Ship Returned On	HMAT A37 Barambah
Fate	Wounded in action 9 Aug 1916 Returned to Australia
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Gosnells Ward Honour Roll
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Born in London, Francis had emigrated to Western Australia prior to 1910. Electoral Roll entries; 1910 - 1912 at 237 St George's terrace, Perth, clerk; 1915 at Gosnells.

War Service

Francis entered camp on 16 Aug 1915 and on 16 Oct 1915 was allocated to the 28th Battalion's 6th reinforcements. He embarked with his draft on 2 Nov 1915 at Fremantle aboard HMAT A38 Ulysses and disembarked at Alexandria in Egypt on 26 Nov 1915. Soon after arrival in Egypt, as part of the reorganisation and expansion of the A.I.F., he was transferred to the 51st Battalion, joining them at Tel-el-Kebir.

Francis travelled with the battalion aboard HMT Ivernia from Alexandria on 6 Jun 1916, arriving in Marseilles on 11 Jun 1916. The next day they boarded cattle trucks for the slow two day journey north to Abbeville, but detrained at Caestre and marched to billets at Moolenaker. On 19 Jun 1916 they marched to Sailly sur la Lys where on 22 Jun 1916 they relieved the 3rd Brigade in the front lines.

On 9 Aug 1916 the 51st Battalion were preparing to go into the front lines at Mouquet Farm. There is no mention of casualties in the battalion's war diary or the history of the Battalion "For King and Cobbers" by Neville Browning. As his injuries were to his left hand, abdomen and left buttock, it is likely that he was the victim of a German shell, a happening so common as to not warrant mention in official records. Between 9 and 20 Aug there are no entries in his personal records, but he would have been seen by a Field Ambulance and sent back to the French coast on an Ambulance Train after being seen by a Casualty Clearing Station. Placed in a Hospital in France he would have been evaluated in terms of how long before he could regain his position in the battalion. More than 3 months to be again ready usually resulted in evacuation to England.

Embarked on HMHS Brighton in Calais on 20 Aug 1916, and on his arrival in England he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital in Wandsworth on 29 Aug 1916. Released to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 3 Nov 1916, he remained in their care until 23 Nov 1916 when he was granted a period of furlough until 9 Dec 1916.

At Perham Downs on 5 Jan 1917 he was reclassified as a result of his injuries and prepared for return to Australia. On his return to Australia he spent time in the 8th Australian General Hospital Fremantle, before being discharged by the 5th Military District on 29 Nov 1917, 15 months after being WIA. The following day he was granted a pension of 60/- ($6) per fortnight.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1925 at 237 St George's terrace, Perth, civil servant. No further records in WA, and no death registered.

Notes

Incomplete records. For further information on this soldier, or for more information about the history and heritage of the City of Gosnells, please contact the Heritage Coordinator on 9391 6011