Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

A Memorial Tablet was placed under a Norfolk Island Pine in Sturt St, South West Rocks. In 1927 Sturt St was renamed Memorial Avenue and rededicated.

Private George Henry Crossingham and his younger brothers - Leonard Sydney Crossingham and George Henry Crossingham all enlisted together in the 33rd Battalion and embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on 17 November, 1916.

William Crossingham sadly died of pneumonia in England only a few weeks after they had arrived on 22 February 1917.

George Crossingham and his brother Leonard both fought at Villers Bretonneux during April 1918 and in a letter to his father and published in the Macleay Chronicle 10 July 1918 Leonard describes the battle leading to what would be George’s last action, part of which is reproduced below.

“We never had such a trying time in our lives. On my left the rest of the boys were fighting with the bayonet for 6 hours. We were shooting for all we were worth; the enemy came so thickly that we mowed them down as they came walking along. My Lewis gun team fired nearly all their bullets away and they and we had to take to our rifles. Just then one of the boys yelled out “stretcher bearers”. Of course, George was one and he jumped up about 10 yards from me. As he was bandaging a wounded lad, he got wounded himself. Something made me look around and I saw poor George walking off the field. I looked around saw a faint little smile on his face. I thought to myself that he had a nice little wound that would give him about 3 months spell in England. So, I went on fighting and when the stretcher bearers returned from the dressing station, they brought me a little note from George in which he said: “Leon I am done this time, say good bye to all my mates for me.”

Then I began to worry about him. After a couple of days had passed the second division of Australians relieved us, so we went back a short distance for a spell and ‘eat up. Our big guns were just getting busy and putting gas shells over when our platoon officer sent for me – “Leon I have sad news for you, your brother died at the Casualty Clearing Station. You can go out tonight”. I went but only for a day and a night. The next night we were all gassed and blind so off to hospital went 350 of my battalion. I am now in Birmingham (England) hospital where I find myself doing fairly well. Poor George was wounded through the back and the bullet stopped in his stomach, that is how it came to kill him. He was recommended for the M.M. or D.S.O. One thing dad is he died a hero, did things under heavy shell and machine gun fire that a lot of us would not have done. I am sending you a photo of the last battle in which George and I fought together – where the Australians took Villers Bretonneux and saved the British Army.”

George was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for his actions in what has been called the 1st Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The recommendation read,

“For conspicuous Gallantry and devotion to duty. During operations of 4th April 1918, east of Villers Bretonneau, Private Crossingham acted as a stretcher bearer. Although under very heavy machine gun and rifle fire, he moved freely in the open attending the wounded. He worked without rest until he himself was wounded on the afternoon of April 5th while tending a wounded man. By his splendid courage and contempt of all danger he set all ranks a high example. He was undoubtedly the means of saving the lives of many men.”

The writer, 2539 Pte Leonard Sydney Crossingham 33rd Battalion AIF was returned to Australia, 12 June 1919, after being severely wounded on three separate occasions.

They were the sons of Richard William John and Amelia Crossingham, of Pelican Island, Macleay River, New South Wales. It seems that their father was a light house keeper at South Solitary Island near Coffs Harbour, NSW, for almost 10 years, many of his children having been born there. The mother, Amelia, passed away in late 1918, her illness apparently much aggravated by grief for her sons.