CROWTHER, Alfred
| Service Number: | 1100 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 September 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wayville, South Australia, Australia , 5 April 1888 |
| Home Town: | Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sturt-street School, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Iron Moulder |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Turkey, 25 April 1915, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Panel 32 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Broken Hill War Memorial, Goodwood St George Anglican Church Memorial Tower, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Unley Arch of Remembrance, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board, Unley Wayville Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1100, 10th Infantry Battalion, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 1100, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' |
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| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1100, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1100, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli |
Help us honour Alfred Crowther's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Lori Medlin
Private Crowther travelled to Egypt from Adelaide on October 20, 1914, on the Transport A11 Ascanius stopping at Fremantle to take aboard most of the 11th battalion. Alfred lost 2 day’s pay for “breaking ship”, although he was one of the few soldiers to be caught. (Lost Boys of Anzac, Peter Stanley)
On 2 March 1915, after 3 months training in Mena Camp in Egypt, Alfred departed on the Ascanius from Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Gallipoli Campaign. As part of the 10th Battaliion, he was in the first boats to land on the Gallipoli shore and climb the hills and ridges. He became trapped amongst the scrub with his squad where only 1 soldier was left alive to tell the tale.
"A sharp smacking sound came from my left. I looked cautiously down the line. 'Lizzie' Crowther gleefully showed me his cap. A black round hole showed in the back of it. 'Not born to be shot' he said. A rash statement to be said in the face of fate........then came the smack of another bullet on the left, followed by no outcry. Cautiously I lifted my head and looked past the dead reinforcement. Good old Alf Crowther was gone West. 'Darkie,' I called, 'Alf got his issue'." (Gardens of Hell:Battles of the Gallipoli Campaign, Patrick Gariepy)
Private Crowther was killed in action, 25 April 1915 and buried by Chaplain McKenzie, in Shrapnel Valley, Gallipoli. His grave was subsequently lost. It was not until April 1916 that his father was officially informed of his death by a letter which stated “Dear Sir, with reference to the report of the regrettable loss of the late No. 1100 Private A Crowther…. I am now in receipt of advice that shows he was killed in action on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25th April 1915.” (Lost Boys of Anzac, Peter Stanley)
Alfred was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
Biography
"THE LATE PRIVATE, A. CROWTHER.
Private A. Crowther, of the 1st Australian Expeditionary Forces, who was killed at the Dardanelles, was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Crowther, Wayville. He was educated at the Sturt-street school. After learning his trade in Adelaide as a moulder, he went to Western Australia and then to Broken Hill, where he enlisted for active service. His only brother is in the Australian Navy." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 26 Jun 1915 (nla.gov.au)
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