Lindsay Alexander Crowe

Lindsay Alexander Crowe was born in 1890 in Tumbarumba, New South Wales, to Colquhoun and Blanche Madeline, nee Gregory. He had two brothers and three sisters. The Crowe family were considered an old family of the district. Lindsay was also renowned for his excellence on the bagpipes, performing at concerts in Cudgewa, Tintaldra, and Walwa.

Lindsay enlisted on 5 October, 1915, at Cootamundra in New South Wales. At the time of his enlistment, he was a single, 25-year-old motor mechanic who gave his home address as North Welaregang, Tooma, New South Wales. His medical examination details describe a man who is 5 feet 9 inches tall (175 cm) and weighs 168 lbs (76 kg). His complexion was given as dark, his eyes hazel and his hair black. He had a scar on his forehead and gave his religious denomination as Presbyterian.

On 5 February, 1916, he was taken on strength with the 22nd Depot Battalion at Royal Park before being transferred to the 8th Depot Light Horse at Seymour in Victoria. In late April, he was recorded as part of the 17th Reinforcements for the 8th Light Horse, but in early May, this was changed to the 8th Reinforcements for the 13th Light Horse.

Lindsay embarked on HMAT A6 Clan Maccorquodale on 6 May 1916, sailing from Melbourne, Victoria. He disembarked in Egypt and on 12 June was taken on strength with the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment at Tel-el-Kebir. After one month of training, he boarded the HMT Tunisian at Alexandria and sailed to the Port of Marseilles, disembarking on 17 July and formally joining the BEF. His first allocation was with the Base Depot at Etaples. He would remain here for one month before joining the 13th Light Horse in the field in France.

The 13th Light Horse Regiment undertook many duties while stationed on the Western Front. Some of these included prisoner transfer and traffic duties. It is therefore not a surprise that during the latter half of 1916 and all of 1917, Lindsay was detached for duty numerous times with the 2nd Anzac Australian Provost Corps.

While on leave from France in early 1918, Lindsay was admitted to the 1st Scottish General Hospital in Aberdeen, suffering from myalgia (muscle pain) and throat trouble. This would continue to trouble him throughout 1918. In late March of 1918, he rejoined the Australian Provost Corps in the field in France. Other than a bout of influenza in June and leave to England in early 1919, Lindsay would remain with this Corps for his time overseas.

Entries from the Assistant Provost Marshall (from the AWM 25 Series) provide a snapshot of the type of incidents that Lindsay may have had to deal with in his time with the Provost Corp.

December 1917. The murder of an Australian soldier- No 3879 Gnr F.W. Ryan, 46th Battery, 12th AFA, was reported from Bailleul week ending 8.12.17, and as a result of investigations, a civilian named Theele confessed to the murder of the soldier aforesaid. Proceedings are being taken by civil authorities against this man.

January 1918. - One traffic casualty occurred early in the month on the Caestre- Fletre Road, when a soldier – No 5124 Gunner Russell, 42nd Battery, 11th AFA, was killed, apparently by a lorry. Exhaustive enquiries as to the identity of the party responsible have proved fruitless to date.

March 1918. - On the 15th inst., a fatal shooting affair occurred at HUCQUINGHEM, in which a soldier – No 2278 Sig. Burgess D. 36th Bn., AIF, was shot dead by a civilian whilst in the act of breaking into a private house.

April 1918. - On the night of the 26th inst., an Australian soldier – Sapper J.C. McKenzie, 2nd Aust. Tunnelling Coy., was killed by a civilian at La Motte whilst in the act of taking away a jar of wine from a private house, the civilian hitting the soldier over the head with a rifle which went off, killing the soldier.

It wasn’t until July 1919 that Lindsay was repatriated to Australia from the United Kingdom. Finally, in August of 1919, Lindsay embarked on HMAT A31 Ajana for the journey home. While at sea, he was admitted to the ship's hospital with scabies. On 3 December 1919, Lindsay was discharged from the AIF and returned home. For his service during the war, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

After returning home from Europe, Lindsay took to farming and secured a soldier settlement block at Urangeline, northwest of Albury. In mid-December 1926, a mysterious fire destroyed a portion of his crops. The District Coroner, Mr F.M. Whitehead, returned an open verdict, stating that there was insufficient evidence to say where, or how, the fire started.

He passed away in 1970 in Lockhart, New South Wales, at the age of 80, and was buried there.