Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Richard was the son of Edward CRAGG & Elizabeth BILLINGTON and was born on the 6th of September 1885 at 13 Black Horse Yard, Preston, Lancashire, England.

Richard was baptised on the 25th of October 1885 in St John’s Church, Preston, Lancashire.

His parents were married in 1865 in St John’s Church, Preston, Lancashire.

His father was the son of Thomas CRAGG & Mary VERITY and was born in 1839 in Settle, Yorkshire, England.

His mother was the daughter of Thomas & Ann BILLINGTON and was born in 1841 in Woodplumpton, Lancashire, England.

Richard was the youngest child born into this family of 5 children.

His father was a painter and the family lived at 13 Black Horse Yard, Preston.

Richard went to school in Preston and then joined the 50th Lancashire Volunteer Regiment.

In 1911 Richard was boarding with Mr & Mrs Charles Sailes at 11 Leyland Street, Accrington and was employed as a Railway Engine Stoker.

Richard arrived in Queensland on the 21st of June 1911 on board the SS Kaipara as a railway worker and the following year he was living in the Terminus Hotel in Rockhampton.

Richard was also the Captain and goal keeper of the Rockhampton Football Club (soccer).

By March 1914 he had moved to Adelaide and was leasing some land and had gained employment as an engine driver.

Richard married Esther and they made their first home in Hewitt Avenue, Rose Park and welcomed a son; Douglas Edward.  

At the age of 32, Richard enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 17th of January 1917 in Royal Park and allotted the service number 1436 and posted to B Company, 4th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company in Mitcham Camp.

Richard was then transferred to Royal Park Camp, Victoria on the 23rd for training and then moved to Broadmeadows Camp.

Richard embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A9 Shropshire on the 11th of May 1917, disembarked in Plymouth on the 19th of July and entrained to St Lucia Barracks in Bordon, Hampshire, for further training.

He proceeded to France in October 1916 where he served until December 1918 when he was invalided to England with an appendicitis complaint.

Richard embarked from England on the 7th of February 1919 on board HT Lancashire and disembarked in Adelaide on the 19th of March.

He was discharged, medically unfit, from the 1st AIF on the 24th of May 1919.

Richard rejoined his wife and young son and moved to 63 Chapel Street, Kensington, where he gained employment as a fireman.

Dorothy Mabel was then born and by 1923 they had moved to 4 William Street, Alberton and Richard was employed as a night watchman with the Harbours Board.

On the 15th of August 1941 Richard was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital, where he died, 2 days later, on the 17th of August 1941.

He was buried the following day in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section C, Drive A, Path 22, Site Number 364N.

CRAGG — On the 17th of August, at hospital, Richard Edward, dearly beloved husband of Esther Cragg, of 4 William Street, Alberton, and loving father of Douglas and Dorothy; aged 57 years.

Military

At the age of 32, Richard enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 17th of January 1917 in Royal Park and allotted the service number 1436 and posted to B Company, 4th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company in Mitcham Camp.

He listed his wife, of Hewitt Avenue, Rose Park, as his next of kin.

The 4th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company was formed in December 1916 as the 4th Section, Australian Railway Troops and included 3 Officers and 261 other ranks. 

They were responsible for operating broad gauge (standard gauge) railways in France, playing a crucial role in the transportation of troops, supplies, and equipment during the war. 

Richard was then transferred to Royal Park Camp, Victoria on the 23rd and on the 8th of March they received instructions to embark from Port Melbourne so all kit and equipment was transferred.

But at the last moment their embarkation was cancelled and they returned to Royal Park Camp on the 10th.

Two weeks later they were transferred to Broadmeadows Camp until the 11th of May when they received definite orders to embark.

Reveille was at 3.30am and they entrained from Broadmeadows at 5am for Port Melbourne.

Richard embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A9 Shropshire on the 11th of May 1917 at 1.15pm and arrived in Fremantle Harbour four days later. The troops were not permitted off the troopship and on the 22nd of May they steamed to Rottnest Island.

They reach Mauritius on the 5th of June and then Durban on 12th where they were able to go ashore for 5 days.

On the 4th of July they arrived at Sierra Leone and after taking on coal and water they weighed anchor three days later.

On the 19th of July they safely anchored in Plymouth Harbour at 8am.

They disembarked and were entrained to St Lucia Barracks in Bordon, Hampshire where the Australian Railways Operating Division (A.R.O.D) was located.

On arrival they were placed into isolation due to the Mumps epidemic that had broken out on board the troopship.

Whilst here, Richards Unit was redesignated as the 35th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company.

They proceeded to France on the 4th of October at 7.10pm, disembarking in Le Havre the following morning at 6.15am.

They were then entrained to Rouen and then driven 255 kilometres in vans to Audruicq Camp, arriving on the 11th of October.

They remained here for all of November and December and were engaged in workshops, shunting and fatigue duty until they entrained for Peronne on the 1st of January 1918.

January and February were spent here building the new railway depot at Omiecourt.

By the end of March their Company had been renumbered as the 4th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company and they had moved back to Audruicq.

They remained at Audruicq and were employed in shed and main lines work until a Depot was found for them. This Depot was Dunkerque Docks and included the Triage Shunting Yard, Ambulance Trains and the Maritime Coudekerque Yards and they moved there on the 26th of April.

They were in control of all the shunting in the area and in June they built huts and accommodation at Mardyck to accommodate the whole Company for the men’s safety.

From July to November their workload increased and every day they shunted and moved troops, coal and wounded.

On the 11th of October Richard was granted 2 weeks leave to England and then rejoined his Company.

With the signing of the Armistice on the 11th of November 1918 their work load increased even more.

By December the rail traffic had considerably increased due to the demobilising of troops.

On the 5th of December Richard suffered from an old appendicitis complaint and was admitted into the Queen Alexander Hospital in Malo-les-Bains (Dunkirk).

Four days later he was transferred to the 35th General Hospital in Calais and three days later he was evacuated to England on HS Brighton and admitted into the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol.

Richard was discharged to 2 weeks furlo on the 20th of December and reported to No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny on the 3rd of January 1919.

Richard embarked from England on the 7th of February 1919 on board HT Lancashire and disembarked in Adelaide on the 19th of March.

He was discharged, medically unfit, from the 1st AIF on the 24th of May 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.