CROFT, Harold Henry
| Service Number: | 46 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 September 1914, Ararat, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Elmhurst, Victoria, Australia, 11 April 1889 |
| Home Town: | Elmhurst, Pyrenees, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Elmhurst State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Sheerer/Sleeper cutter |
| Died: | Died of wounds (POW of Germany), France, 8 July 1916, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lille Southern Cemetery Plot: III. A. 32, |
| Memorials: | Ararat Shire of Ararat WWI Roll of Honor, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 46, 14th Infantry Battalion, Ararat, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 46, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 46, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 46, 14th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 24 May 1915: | Wounded ANZAC / Gallipoli, Shell wound (right thigh) | |
| 1 Dec 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
| 14 Apr 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
| 2 Jul 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 32nd Infantry Battalion, GSW (head, right arm, right leg) | |
| 3 Jul 1916: | Imprisoned | |
| 8 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 46, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 46 awm_unit: 14 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-07-08 |
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Court of enquiry found that Sgt Croft was dangerously wounded while raiding enemy's trench on night of 02 Jul 1916 and was left in "no man's land".
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Sergeant Harold ‘Curly’ Croft was a shearer and sleeper cutter who hailed from Elmhurst, Victoria, and apparently his endless supply of jokes and anecdotes were legend throughout the 14th Battalion.
In the history of the 14th Battalion, it is stated that “the death of the veteran Sergeant Curly Croft was severely felt. He was a great NCO, one of the finest, indeed in the AIF. A man of exceptional personality, with great initiative and driving power, he enforced discipline by sheer force of character. He was always cheerful, even under depressing conditions, and was one of the most popular NCO’s in the whole 4th Brigade.”
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