William John Brown (Wille) CROSSMAN

CROSSMAN, William John Brown

Service Number: 3497
Enlisted: 8 October 1915
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 2nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Buckland Monachorum, Devon, England, 1890
Home Town: Mosman, Municipality of Mosman, New South Wales
Schooling: Buckland Monachorum Chuch School, Devon, England
Occupation: Builder
Died: Killed in Action, Belgium, 27 October 1917
Cemetery: Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery
Spec Memorial (Plot I. Row P. Grave No 1B)
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

8 Oct 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private
12 Dec 1915: Involvement Private, 3497, 19th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: ''
12 Dec 1915: Embarked Private, 3497, 19th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Sydney
27 Oct 1917: Involvement Lance Corporal, 3497, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3497 awm_unit: 2 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-10-27

Help us honour William John Brown Crossman's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon

After leaving school, William began work as a waggoner on the Willcock's farm, Long Ash. Just before the outbreak of war he emigrated to Australia and in October 1915 enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. By early 1916 he was fighting in France. He was killed in action in Belgium 27 October 1917 aged 27.

Births Mar 1890  Crossman William John B Tavistock
5b 376

His younger brother also fell-he was Stoker 1st Class George Hedley Crossman Service Number: K/14884 Royal Navy-H.M.S. "Indefatigable." He died, aged 22 on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. He is officially commemorated  on the PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL at Panel 15.
 The brothers are honoured on the Crapstone –Buckland Monachorum War Memorial-another Australian is here. [Gunner James Reginald  Wilson-he served with the 5th Brigade, Australian Field Artillery]

The memorial is at The Green, Stoke Hill Lane, Crapstone, Devon, PL20 7PE, England.

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Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon

He is one of three Australian soldiers of the Great War honoured on the Buckland Monachorum War Memorial