William Frederick CROW

Regimental number3277
Place of birthTally Ho, Victoria
SchoolState School, Victoria
ReligionMethodist
OccupationOrchardist
AddressTally Ho PO, Tally Ho, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation20
Height5' 4.5"
Weight137 lbs
Next of kinFather, R T Crow, Tally Ho PO, Tally Ho, Victoria
Previous military serviceNil (exempt area under Compulsory Military Training scheme)
Enlistment date14 July 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name7th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/24/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 11 October 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll59th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles)
Age at death21.3
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 16), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
167
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Robert and Minnie CROW. Native of Tally Ho, Victoria
Family/military connectionsCousin: 5386 Pte Richard Edmund GOUGE, 59th Bn, killed in action, 4 July 1918.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Taken on strength of 7th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 20 January 1916.

Transferred to 59th Bn, 24 February 1916; taken on strength of 59th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 24 February 1916.

Admitted to No 8 Field Ambulance, 17 April 1916 (tonsilitis); discharged and rejoined 59th Bn, Duntroon Plateau, 21 April 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Posted missing, 19 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 29 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Note on B.103, 'presume buried in No Man's Land at approx 5J9043 to 5K0251 Sheet Hazebrouck 5a'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 841111, 4975 Pte A.H. MEADOWS, A Company, 59th Bn (patient, No 26 General Hospital, Etaples), 7 December 1916: 'I saw him severely wounded at Fleurbaix on July 19th. by Machine gun fire. He was shot in the side. He got away safely to hospital in England.'

Second statement, 1961 Corporal E.A. HUBBARD, A Company, 59th Bn, 26 December 1916: 'Shortly after arriving in France, our Division made an Assault (sic) upon the German trenches South East of Armentiers (sic) on July 19th and we met with great opposition our Battalion 59th losing heavily. Late in the evening we hopped over the parapet[;] until then Billy Crow was alright, but in the dash across 'No Man's land" (sic), he became separated and that was the last I saw of him. Meeting with great opposition we were forced to retire back to our lines. Next morning we were pulled out of the line and a roll called out of 11,00 (sic) only 87 were left, I being the only one left of my section, Willy Crow being among the missing.'

Third statement, 4959 Pte W.F. WRIGHT, 59th Bn (patient, No 7 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples), 12 March 1917: 'Pte W.E. STERRY told me that at Fleurbaix, on this date [19 July 1916], in No Man's Land, during a charge, he saw Crow struck by a shell and blown to pieces.'

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, CROW William Frederick
Red Cross file 841111