CRAVEN, Walter Hiram
| Service Number: | 711 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 November 1914, Oaklands, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Noarlunga, South Australia, 20 January 1896 |
| Home Town: | McLaren Vale, Onkaparinga, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peter's College, Adelaide |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 29 August 1915, aged 19 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave, Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, McLaren Vale Memorial Wall, McLaren Vale Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Nov 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 711, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Oaklands, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb 1915: | Involvement Private, 711, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Surada embarkation_ship_number: A52 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Feb 1915: | Embarked Private, 711, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Surada, Melbourne | |
| 29 Aug 1915: | Involvement Trooper, 711, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 711 awm_unit: 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1915-08-29 |
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Walter Hiram Craven of McLaren Vale, not far from Reynella, was born at Noarlunga, South Australia. While at the School, he served a year in the naval cadets and two in the senior cadets and when he enlisted at Oaklands Park in early December, was still a student serving part time in C Company 78th Infantry.
Walter joined the first quota of reinforcements for the 9th Light Horse Regiment on 1 February and five days later sailed from Melbourne aboard HMAT Surada.
In May 1915, he sailed with the regiment from Alexandria and after the fighting at Hill 60 Trooper Craven was reported missing.
Witness statements [i]
In January 1916, when interviewed at 3rd London General Hospital, Sergeant John Yeatman, (OS) said ‘It was quite dark so many were not seen again.’ He said he had made many enquiries among his friends but all to no avail and was almost certain Craven ‘was killed.’
Trooper Alec Banning when interviewed in October 1916 said Craven like all those killed in the 9th Light Horse Regiment was buried on Knoll 60. ‘It is a pleasant place with plenty of grass and flowers and the Turks will not disturb it.’
In November, Trooper Louis Saler told the interviewing officer ‘Craven was shot dead and killed outright.’
Trooper Henry Mitchell said ‘Craven was in the charge’ and was certain he did not retire and therefore must have been killed. Mitchell said Craven ‘was a bomb thrower’ and they had been ‘in the same squad.’
At Serapeum, Egypt in April 1916, a Court of Inquiry was assembled to determine the fate of 19-year-old Trooper Walter Hiram Craven as well as seventeen other 9th Light Horse officers and men missing since August 1915; the Court found they were all killed in action on 29 August 1915. [ii]
[i] Australian War Memorial, Australian Red Cross wounded and missing enquiry bureau files, Craven Walter Hiram / 0830410G, viewed 13 September 2005
[ii] National Archives of Australia: B 2455 Craven, Walter / 3458343, viewed 13 September 2005
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