Harold Oswald Leslie Crowe

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Harold Crowe

Stephen Learmonth

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Harold was born in 1895 in Jingellic, Victoria. He was one of four sons and one daughter born to George and Jane Cathcart (née Hanna). Three of George and Jane’s sons would enlist and travel overseas during World War 1. Two would not return home. George was born in Ireland in 1863 and travelled to Australia in 1877, six years before marrying Jane in 1883. Jane had been born in 1855 at Whiskey Flat, near Yackandandah, Victoria.

Harold was a 20-year-old station hand and clerk when he enlisted in the AIF at Melbourne on the 24th of May 1915. His attestation papers state that he had spent 2 years in the senior cadets at Albury and 3 years with the 49th (Prahran) Infantry Battalion in Prahran, where he was still serving. At enlistment, Harold was allocated Regimental Number 1682 and became part of the 2nd Reinforcements for the 23rd Battalion.

After initial training in Victoria, Harold embarked on HMAT A64 Demosthenes on the 16th of July 1915 at Melbourne. During this time, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. Harold’s records are somewhat disjointed. Over the 60 pages of material, there is confusion about whether he was a member of the 22nd or the 23rd Battalion. However, both battalions were part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Division.

On the 30th of August, Harold proceeded to join the MEF (Mediterranean Expeditionary Forces) and serve in the Gallipoli Campaign. He remained there until the final withdrawal and arrived back in Alexandria on the 7th of January 1916. Five days later, with his battalion billeted at Tel-el-Kebir, he asked to revert to the ranks and hand in his lance corporal stripe. 

On the 22nd of January, he was charged with being absent without leave from active service from 1000 hours on the 18th of January to 2200 hours on the 20th of January. He was ‘awarded’ a forfeit of 3 days' pay under Royal Warrant. It’s unclear where he was during those dates, as Cairo is 110 km to the northeast and Ismailia, along the Suez Canal, 50 kilometres to the East. Tel-el-Kabir, the training centre for the First Australian Imperial Force, was described by an Australian soldier in 1916 as being “a very dirty little place with a few dirty shops.”

It was mid-March when Harold embarked on a troopship bound for overseas service to join the BEF in France. Along the way, he was charged with “when on active service disobedience of Ships Orders, in that he was smoking between decks”. His ‘award’ was seventy-two hours of Field Punishment No. 2. On the 26th of March 1916, Harold disembarked at the Port of Marseilles on the south coast of France.

When comparing the 22nd and 23rd Battalions’ War Diaries, it is apparent that Harold was part of the 22nd Battalion, as it is only this battalion that was active on the day that Harold died. The 22nd Battalion War Diary states;

“Stand To - 3.15 AM. Stand down - 4.15 AM. Our artillery active throughout the day. Demonstrations carried out by artillery on enemy trenches opposite our Bn sector between 3 and 4PM. Our bursts of fire at 3, 3.10, 3.20, 3.50 and 4PM. Enemy retaliated on our support and reserve lines chiefly. At 11.30 PM under cover of artillery fire our 2” ™ [trench mortars] and ?? opened on Enemy’s trench opposite left Coy [Company] - Trench 62 - Enemy’s retaliation continued for forty minutes on our Firing, Support and Reserve lines with H.E. [high explosive] and shrapnel. Stand To 9.15 Pm, stand down - 9.45 PM. Cover taken against retaliation at 11.30 PM. Casualties 1 O.R. [other rank] killed, 7 O.R wounded.”

On the second day in a row, in the same battalion and under the same conditions, another Upper Murray son fell. Harold was the O.R. killed by German shellfire. He was buried in Ration Farm Cemetery, near Bois Grenier, 1 ½ miles south of Armentiéres. His service was conducted by Rev. F.H. Durnford. His gravesite is only four down from that of Joseph Hamilton, who died the previous day.

Amongst Harold’s records is a letter dated the 4th of December written by his mother, Jane. In the letter, she is quite horrified to find that Harold enlisted under the name Harold Oswald Leslie Crowe, whereas his birth registered name was Oswald Harold Leslie Crowe. Her concern is that the difference will result in her having difficulty with the Insurance Company upon receipt of his death certificate. Nothing is recorded of the outcome of her dealings with the Insurance Company.

Harold is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, and the Corryong War Memorial. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal

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