General News
21 December, 2024
Veterans Voices: The Crossley Brothers
The Crossley brothers - Joseph Ralf, John Eric Best and Oliver Edward - were all born in Cavendish.
On enlistment for World War I, Joseph was 23, John was 27 and Oliver 34.
All enlisted on March 16 1915 in the 4th Light Horse Brigade, 13 Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron.
Joseph's and John's next of kin was Frank William Crossley of Kont-Norien, Harrow.
Their parents were Edward (Ned) Robert Hamilton Crossley, 58 at the time, and Elizabeth (Lizie) Ann Best, 46.
There were six other siblings.
Joseph and Oliver Crossley were both farmers while John was a grazier.
Remarkably, all three survived the war.
Joseph was a private, John a staff sergeant and Oliver a sergeant.
Oliver Edward Crossley
Oliver was born in 1880.
When war broke out he was living at Talyoon, Canowindra, NSW.
He was the husband of Lucy Isabel Kinleside Crossley, the couple having married in Young, NSW.
Oliver trained from March 16 to August 28 1915 before landing at Gallipoli on September 11.
By this time the ANZACs had adopted a defensive postion and the 13th was based at Lone Pine.
He developed acute pneumonia on November 4 and on November 6 was admitted to 5/11 transport hospital ship.
Oliver was evacuated from the Gallipoli Peninsula on HS Devanha on November 12 and was transferred between several hospitals in Malta until February 1 1916.
He then sailed from Malta to Alexandria in Egypt aboard Bornu.
Oliver was at 2 Auxiliary Hospital Heliopolis with a throat infection on February 10 1916.
He was with 1st LA (a Light Horse training unit) at Tel-el, Kebra, on April 17.
On August 22 he was detached from 13 Light Horse and sent to Alexandria on HMT Corsian.
From there Oliver was transferred to Australian Army Pay Corps London and made a temporary corporal.
Oliver was admitted to hospital in Harefield with pleurisy on November 27 1916 and on discharge was sent to Weymouth
He was promoted to temporary second corporal on January 3 1917 and to sergeant on August 1 1917.
On April 24 1918 Oliver was reported fit for general service duties; however, on March 2 1919 he was returned to Australia for care.
Oliver was discharged from 3 Military District on April 25 1919.
He received the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Oliver died in May 1961, aged about 81, in Killara, NSW.
Joseph Ralf Crossley
Joseph was born on October 7 1891.
He trained from March 15 until April 29 1915 in Caulfield, Melbourne.
Sailing from Australia aboard Megantic, he disembarked in Alexandria, Egypt.
On January 12 1916 he was transferred to 2 ACCS at Te-el-Kebir.
Joseph contracted Influenza and was hospitalised first in Ghezireh, Egypt, on January 13 1916 and then in Heliopolis.
He was transferred to 2nd Division Ammunition Column on March 11 and sent to France on April 17.
Joseph rejoined 13 Light Horse on April 30, as a muster driver.
While serving with 1st AA Corps Light Horse Regiment in France, Joseph went to hospital on November 8 1916 with a wound to his face.
He was then evacuated to Weymouth, England, on December 16.
On January 8 1917 an inquiry was held into the circumstances of Joseph's injury, finding that he was not to blame as he had been kicked by a horse while in the field.
Joseph had a fracture of the maxilla (the frontal bone in the face, from the bottom of the eyes to the top of the mouth, around the nose).
After spending time in hospital in London, he was marched in to a convalescent depot in Perham Downs, London.
Here it was stated that Joseph had a fractured jaw, rheumatism and pneumonia.
Having spent four weeks in bed and six weeks convalescing, Joseph was classified as an invalid on February 20 1917 and declared temporarily unfit for duty for more than six months.
Joseph became ill with pneumonia and was returned to Australia aboard the hospital ship Llanstephen Castle.
On May 6 1918 he was assessed as permanently unfit and was discharged from the army at 3rd Military District.
Joseph received the 1914-1918 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He married Agnes Newlyn Hamilton in 1926.
During World War II he served with 14 Battalion Voluntary Defence Force in Horsham from May 23 1942 until September 21 1945.
Joseph died on December 21 1961 in Natimuk at the age of 70.
He is buried in Natimuk Cemetery.
John Eric Best Crossley
John was born on June 2 1887.
He studied metallurgy at Ballarat School of Mines and in 1910, with brothers Francis and Philip, purchased Kout Norien Estate, Harrow, and Clifden Estate, Western Australia.
John sailed to Egypt, arriving in October 4 1915.
After serving at Gallipoli he joined the British Expeditionary Force at Alexandria, Egypt, on March 17 1916.
He spent time sick in hospital, then rejoined his unit on May 26.
With 1st Anzac Mounted Regiment he was posted to as a private to France.
John was wounded in action on March 29 1917 when he was shot in the foot.
As this was a severe injury John was taken to No 31 A Train on April 3.
He sailed from Boulogne, France, to Brighton, England, and was sent to 14 General Hospital on April 4.
John underwent surgery to have a shell splinter removed from his foot
He was repatriated to Perham Downs before being attached for duty at Light Horse Depot on November 9 1917.
He was an acting sergeant when he was discharged and returned to Australia aboard Euripides on March 3 1919.
In 1923 John married Shirley Nicholson, daughter of William Laidlaw and grandaughter of David Laidlaw of Hamilton, an early pioneer.
Like Joseph, John enlisted for WWII.
He served from March 27 1943 until October 1 1945.
He died on June 14 1955 in Mudgee, NSW.
