RODERICK EDGAR CRAWFORD
Regimental No 23/1362
9 June 1898 – 8 March 1917
Roderick Edgar CRAWFORD was the fourth child of John Henry Crawford and his wife Florence Lily nee PALMER. His brothers and sisters were Cecil Henry (1892), Leslie John Clayton (1895), Iris (Ressie, 1896), Dudley Edward (1900) and Edith Lillian (1902). In 1890 Roderick's father was a ploughman at Castlepoint in the Wairarapa, and later records suggest Roderick and at least some of his siblings were born at Tinui, Wairarapa.
In 1904 Roderick was under the guardianship of a Mrs. Scott of 5 Sussex Street, Wellington and attended Mt. Cook Infants School. In 1907 he was at Te Aro School and living with his father at 8 Tory Street, in Te Aro, before going onto Brooklyn School later the same year, by which time the family was living in Todman Street, Brooklyn. On the 1911 Electoral Roll the family were still at Todman Street, Brooklyn, and John’s occupation on the Electoral Roll for that year was telegraph linesman. There may have been marital difficulties between John and Florence, as Florence doesn’t feature in family records from about 1905/06. She did though live to a good age, dying in Christchurch in 1941.
With the war in Europe raging, Roderick enlisted with the New Zealand Army at Trentham on the 5 August 1915. His Attestation Papers show that he told the authorities that he was 21, but in fact he was only 17. He was though 5 ft 7 1/2 inches tall, which was as tall as many men who enlisted, and would undoubtedly have been sufficient to encourage the authorities to accept his enlistment. He gave his occupation as a labourer, working for Mr W. Wright of Glencoe Station, Pongaroa, Wairarapa. He had reached the Fourth Educational Standard, was single, and had belonged to the Senior Cadets in Wellington. He weighed 135 lbs, with a chest measurement of 31 1/4 inches, expanding to 34 1/2 inches, a dark complexion, green eyes and dark brown hair. His eye sight, hearing, heart and lungs were normal, and he had well-formed limbs with full movement and good teeth. He was free from hernia, varicose veins, haemarrhoids, contagious skin diseases, was vaccinated, and was free from any “slight defects”. He had a small distinguishing mole on his front left ear. His religious beliefs were that of the Church of England and his father was his next of kin. His last known address was Brooklyn, Wellington.
He was given the rank of rifleman and was posted to D Coy, 1st Battalion, 3rd Rifle Brigade. After his initial training he left Wellington 13th November 1915 bound for Suez on board either HMNZT No. 35 “Willochra” or HMNZT No. 35 “Tofua”. He disembarked on 20th Dec 1915 and joined the Battalion for more training at Moascar Camp near the Suez Canal. On 6th April 1916 Roderick left Alexandria with his Battalion for France. Three months were spent in a "quiet area" around Armentieres gaining experience in trench warfare and becoming familiar with new equipment and armaments. On the 11th Aug 1916 he was appointed Cook and on 9th Sept 1916 he was admitted to No. 2nd NZ Field Ambulance and transferred on the same day to NZ Stationary Hospital, apparently suffering from haemarrhoids. He was discharged in September 1916 and rejoined his Battalion to his usual duties as cook. By this time the battalion had moved south to the Somme and the NZ Division was active in battle from 15 September until 5 October in the area around the village of Flers. "Although a successful assault, it was, like all set-piece Western Front attacks, very expensive. Of the roughly 6000 infantry involved, some 1200 were wounded or missing and about 670 were dead or dying. " Roderick was one of the survivors, though "more than 2100 New Zealanders are buried on what was once the battlefield of the Somme or near the sites of casualty clearing stations or hospitals behind the lines. Those with known graves now lie in carefully tended Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries throughout the area."
'The Battle of the Somme', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/the-battle-of-the-somme, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 2-Feb-2018
The Division then withdrew to Flanders, where they helped man the sector of the front line near Armentières and Sailly-sur-la-Lys, remaining in reserve for the remainder of 1916 and building up the strength and fitness of the men. January and February 1917 were spent in the Bizet and Pont de Nieppe area, forming working parties to rebuild and strengthen trenches and undertaking patrols.
Roderick, who was by now a battle hardened veteran, became one of those killed in early March. No details of an action on 8th March have been recorded on his military personnel file or elsewhere but he was "killed in action" that day. He was still a lad, aged just 19 years old. His Military Personnel file shows that he was buried on 4th April 1917 at Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery to the north of Ploegsteert Wood. Hyde Park Corner was a road junction to the north of Ploegsteert Wood. Hill 63 was to the north-west and nearby were the 'Catacombs', deep shelters capable of holding two battalions, which were used from November 1916 onwards. The cemetery was begun in April 1915 by the 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment and was used at intervals until November 1917.
In 1920 Roderick’s remains were exhumed and moved across the road to Berks Cemetery Extension. The extension was begun in June 1916 and used continuously until September 1917 and expanded in 1930 when graves were brought in from Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery and Extension, about 1 kilometre to the north-west, when it was established that these sites could not be acquired in perpetuity.
Roderick’s grave is in Plot 1, to the right of the PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL,
“a large circular structure guarded by two lions, one of which is looking impassively across the fields of war, and the other of which has bared teeth, representing the challenge of warfare. commemorating more than 11,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in this sector during the First World War and have no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. Those commemorated by the memorial did not die in major offensives, such as those which took place around Ypres to the north, or Loos to the south. Most were killed in the course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised this part of the line, or in small scale set engagements, usually carried out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere.”
https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/9102/berks-cemetery-extension/
Robert lies with three other New Zealand Riflemen, one of whom was killed the same day.
For his service Roderick was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, and the Plaque and Scroll which was dispatched on the 10th March 1921 to his father Mr J. H. Crawford at Claireville, Wairarapa.
Roderick's two brothers, Cecil and Leslie, both served in WW1. According to Cecil’s military personnel file he enlisted as Henry Charles Crawford in October 1914, fought at Gallipoli but was apparently kicked in the right knee by a horse and developed synovitis (inflammation). He was returned to New Zealand and medically discharged as unfit for active service in November 1915.
Leslie enlisted in June 1915, served with the Wellington Regiment as an infantryman for over three years, and was also killed in action, at Le Cateau, France on 12th October 1918. He was buried at Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. For some unknown reason his name is not included on the Brooklyn memorial alongside that of his brother.
It was noted in the Evening Post dated 31 October 1918 in a column headed “While Doing their Duty”
“Sgt. Leslie J. Crawford (killed in action) was born at Tenui (sic) 1895 and was the son of Mr. J. H. Crawford, now of Wellington. His brother Roderick was killed during the fighting on the Somme. Another brother Cecil left New Zealand with an early draft, saw fighting in Gallipoli and was discharged recently”
Roderick’s parents must have divorced sometime before 1918, as John married Ellen Maude TUCKER that year. According to some Public Member trees on Ancestry.com they also had a son, called Keith, in 1911, though the NZ Births Deaths and Marriage register online records his birth in 1925. Perhaps the birth of this child, if indeed it occurred in 1911, was the grounds for divorce of John and Florence.
Roderick's father died in 2nd June 1961 at Palmerston North.
Researched and written by Vivienne McIsaac
Sources:
National Library of New Zealand – Archway Archives, NZ Army Personnel File
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database
Registrar General, BDM
NZ Electoral Rolls
Papers Past
NZSG Index Vol 2.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Regimental No 23/1362
9 June 1898 – 8 March 1917
Roderick Edgar CRAWFORD was the fourth child of John Henry Crawford and his wife Florence Lily nee PALMER. His brothers and sisters were Cecil Henry (1892), Leslie John Clayton (1895), Iris (Ressie, 1896), Dudley Edward (1900) and Edith Lillian (1902). In 1890 Roderick's father was a ploughman at Castlepoint in the Wairarapa, and later records suggest Roderick and at least some of his siblings were born at Tinui, Wairarapa.
In 1904 Roderick was under the guardianship of a Mrs. Scott of 5 Sussex Street, Wellington and attended Mt. Cook Infants School. In 1907 he was at Te Aro School and living with his father at 8 Tory Street, in Te Aro, before going onto Brooklyn School later the same year, by which time the family was living in Todman Street, Brooklyn. On the 1911 Electoral Roll the family were still at Todman Street, Brooklyn, and John’s occupation on the Electoral Roll for that year was telegraph linesman. There may have been marital difficulties between John and Florence, as Florence doesn’t feature in family records from about 1905/06. She did though live to a good age, dying in Christchurch in 1941.
With the war in Europe raging, Roderick enlisted with the New Zealand Army at Trentham on the 5 August 1915. His Attestation Papers show that he told the authorities that he was 21, but in fact he was only 17. He was though 5 ft 7 1/2 inches tall, which was as tall as many men who enlisted, and would undoubtedly have been sufficient to encourage the authorities to accept his enlistment. He gave his occupation as a labourer, working for Mr W. Wright of Glencoe Station, Pongaroa, Wairarapa. He had reached the Fourth Educational Standard, was single, and had belonged to the Senior Cadets in Wellington. He weighed 135 lbs, with a chest measurement of 31 1/4 inches, expanding to 34 1/2 inches, a dark complexion, green eyes and dark brown hair. His eye sight, hearing, heart and lungs were normal, and he had well-formed limbs with full movement and good teeth. He was free from hernia, varicose veins, haemarrhoids, contagious skin diseases, was vaccinated, and was free from any “slight defects”. He had a small distinguishing mole on his front left ear. His religious beliefs were that of the Church of England and his father was his next of kin. His last known address was Brooklyn, Wellington.
He was given the rank of rifleman and was posted to D Coy, 1st Battalion, 3rd Rifle Brigade. After his initial training he left Wellington 13th November 1915 bound for Suez on board either HMNZT No. 35 “Willochra” or HMNZT No. 35 “Tofua”. He disembarked on 20th Dec 1915 and joined the Battalion for more training at Moascar Camp near the Suez Canal. On 6th April 1916 Roderick left Alexandria with his Battalion for France. Three months were spent in a "quiet area" around Armentieres gaining experience in trench warfare and becoming familiar with new equipment and armaments. On the 11th Aug 1916 he was appointed Cook and on 9th Sept 1916 he was admitted to No. 2nd NZ Field Ambulance and transferred on the same day to NZ Stationary Hospital, apparently suffering from haemarrhoids. He was discharged in September 1916 and rejoined his Battalion to his usual duties as cook. By this time the battalion had moved south to the Somme and the NZ Division was active in battle from 15 September until 5 October in the area around the village of Flers. "Although a successful assault, it was, like all set-piece Western Front attacks, very expensive. Of the roughly 6000 infantry involved, some 1200 were wounded or missing and about 670 were dead or dying. " Roderick was one of the survivors, though "more than 2100 New Zealanders are buried on what was once the battlefield of the Somme or near the sites of casualty clearing stations or hospitals behind the lines. Those with known graves now lie in carefully tended Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries throughout the area."
'The Battle of the Somme', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/the-battle-of-the-somme, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 2-Feb-2018
The Division then withdrew to Flanders, where they helped man the sector of the front line near Armentières and Sailly-sur-la-Lys, remaining in reserve for the remainder of 1916 and building up the strength and fitness of the men. January and February 1917 were spent in the Bizet and Pont de Nieppe area, forming working parties to rebuild and strengthen trenches and undertaking patrols.
Roderick, who was by now a battle hardened veteran, became one of those killed in early March. No details of an action on 8th March have been recorded on his military personnel file or elsewhere but he was "killed in action" that day. He was still a lad, aged just 19 years old. His Military Personnel file shows that he was buried on 4th April 1917 at Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery to the north of Ploegsteert Wood. Hyde Park Corner was a road junction to the north of Ploegsteert Wood. Hill 63 was to the north-west and nearby were the 'Catacombs', deep shelters capable of holding two battalions, which were used from November 1916 onwards. The cemetery was begun in April 1915 by the 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment and was used at intervals until November 1917.
In 1920 Roderick’s remains were exhumed and moved across the road to Berks Cemetery Extension. The extension was begun in June 1916 and used continuously until September 1917 and expanded in 1930 when graves were brought in from Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery and Extension, about 1 kilometre to the north-west, when it was established that these sites could not be acquired in perpetuity.
Roderick’s grave is in Plot 1, to the right of the PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL,
“a large circular structure guarded by two lions, one of which is looking impassively across the fields of war, and the other of which has bared teeth, representing the challenge of warfare. commemorating more than 11,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in this sector during the First World War and have no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. Those commemorated by the memorial did not die in major offensives, such as those which took place around Ypres to the north, or Loos to the south. Most were killed in the course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised this part of the line, or in small scale set engagements, usually carried out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere.”
https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/9102/berks-cemetery-extension/
Robert lies with three other New Zealand Riflemen, one of whom was killed the same day.
For his service Roderick was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, and the Plaque and Scroll which was dispatched on the 10th March 1921 to his father Mr J. H. Crawford at Claireville, Wairarapa.
Roderick's two brothers, Cecil and Leslie, both served in WW1. According to Cecil’s military personnel file he enlisted as Henry Charles Crawford in October 1914, fought at Gallipoli but was apparently kicked in the right knee by a horse and developed synovitis (inflammation). He was returned to New Zealand and medically discharged as unfit for active service in November 1915.
Leslie enlisted in June 1915, served with the Wellington Regiment as an infantryman for over three years, and was also killed in action, at Le Cateau, France on 12th October 1918. He was buried at Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. For some unknown reason his name is not included on the Brooklyn memorial alongside that of his brother.
It was noted in the Evening Post dated 31 October 1918 in a column headed “While Doing their Duty”
“Sgt. Leslie J. Crawford (killed in action) was born at Tenui (sic) 1895 and was the son of Mr. J. H. Crawford, now of Wellington. His brother Roderick was killed during the fighting on the Somme. Another brother Cecil left New Zealand with an early draft, saw fighting in Gallipoli and was discharged recently”
Roderick’s parents must have divorced sometime before 1918, as John married Ellen Maude TUCKER that year. According to some Public Member trees on Ancestry.com they also had a son, called Keith, in 1911, though the NZ Births Deaths and Marriage register online records his birth in 1925. Perhaps the birth of this child, if indeed it occurred in 1911, was the grounds for divorce of John and Florence.
Roderick's father died in 2nd June 1961 at Palmerston North.
Researched and written by Vivienne McIsaac
Sources:
National Library of New Zealand – Archway Archives, NZ Army Personnel File
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database
Registrar General, BDM
NZ Electoral Rolls
Papers Past
NZSG Index Vol 2.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission