Pte 57779 George Crawford

• Age: 25
• From: New Shildon, Durham
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

George Crawford was born 1st January, 1892 in New Shildon, Durham, the eldest son of Charles Crawford and Mary Elizabeth Jobling who had been married in New Shildon in 1891.

The nine year old George appears in the 1901 census staying with his widowed grandfather Charles who is a railway engine driver, at Henderson Terrace. Also in the household is Charles’s daughter Edith aged 29 and a niece called Flora who was 23. George’s parents are living at 13 Soho Street with their younger two sons – Charles aged 6 and 4 year old Arthur. George’s father Charles is 42 and is working as a locomotive engine fitter, his wife Mary is 34.

The whole family are found living at 9 Kimberley Terrace, New Shildon at the time of the 1911 census.

George is 19 and is working as a pupil teacher, his brothers are also working; Charles aged 16, is a clerk for the N.E.Railway and Arthur aged 14, is a machinist for the railway. Their father aged 52 and still a loco engine fitter for the N.E. Railway and he and Mary are recorded as having been married 20 years and having three children. Charles’s father is aged 74, now retired and living with the family.

Later that year he became a student at Bede College: he joined the junior rugby team and rejoiced in the nickname Jack Johnson. He earned a first class pass in the Archbishop’s Certificate in March 1913, and upon qualification in the summer was listed in the third class in the Certificate pass list. He went on to teach at West Herrington Council School for boys.

George enlisted in Houghton-Le-Spring, Durham and was formerly 325, Northern Divisional Cyclist Company before he was transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 57779. He was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 25 during the opening phase of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

Crawford was living at Philadelphia, Fence houses, and teaching at New Penshaw County School when he enlisted in the 325 Northern Company of the Cyclists Division at Houghton le Spring, as is mentioned in The Bede magazine of December 1915. His death was reported to his Bede comrades in the December 1917 issue of the college’s magazine.

"George Crawford joined the Northern Cyclist Battalion from which Corps he was transferred to the King's Liverpool Regiment. With him were serving W. Elliott and E. Smith ('14-'16). The former writing on August 12 reported that Crawford had been killed, but he was never able to secure any further information. … In his last letter to Bede, Elliot referred to the death of his comrade Crawford which apparently took place near Ypres. 'It does seem strange' he wrote 'that he should have found his last resting place where so many other Bede lads have fallen.' Within twelve days 'Billy' had joined his comrade, and his last resting place is in the same stricken field of war."

The Bede magazine, December 1917, p.8.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

George has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

George's name was included in a Newcastle Journal report on the 8th November 1917 concerning the deaths of local men who were Teachers.

ON WAR SERVICE

Officials under the Education Committee, numbering 691, are on war service, including 461 certificated assistants. In addition, there are 155 who have either made the great sacrifice, been discharged, or transferred to Army Reserve W. Since the last report, five more have laid down their lives in the service of the country. vis. : — Second-Lieut. S Brown, East Lanca. Regt. (Bishop Auckland Grammar School), Bombardier J. P. Wake, R.G.A. (Bowburn), Pte.George Crawford, King's Liverpool Regiment (West Herrington), Pte.T. B. Pyburn, King's Liverpool Regiment (Hetton Lyons), and Corpl. M. W. Rudd, D.L.I. (Education Department). Sergeant-Major Fred Dann, Intelligence Depart-ment, assistant master at the Johnston Technical School, had been appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by his Majesty; and Captain T. Harker, D.L.I. (Anfield Plain Upper Standard School) had been awarded the Military Cross for distinguished service on the field. Education estimates were passed as follow — Elementary, £174,955, and higher, £21.960.

NUT Record (1914-1919) shows that George was a teacher at New Penshaw School, Durham and is commemorated on their war record.

George is also commemorated on the Shire Hall Memorial, Durham County Council War Memorial, North Eastern Railway Institute, St Bede's College's Cross, plaque and Roll of Honour and the war memorial statue at St John's Churchyard, Shildon.

Soldiers Effects to mother Mary E. and friend Harriet Mearns?, Pension to mother Mary Elizabeth.

The family appears on the 1939 register at 122 Redworth Rd, Shildon. Father Charles, dob 17th June 1858, mother Mary E., dob 9th April 1866, also married son Charles and family.

The father died aged 83 in 1942 and mother died aged 84 in 1951.

Grateful thanks are extended Universities at War to for permission to use the photograph of George and to Dave Bohl for the transcription of the newspaper report. Visit www.seftonrugby.org.uk

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