Norman CRAWFORD

CRAWFORD, Norman

Service Number: 1970
Enlisted: 26 August 1914, An original member of 9th Battery
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 3rd Field Artillery Brigade
Born: Hagley, Tasmania, Australia, 1 June 1894
Home Town: Burnie, Burnie, Tasmania
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Draper
Died: Died of wounds, France, 4 September 1918, aged 24 years
Cemetery: Heath Cemetery, Picardie
Plot X, Row A, Grave No. 16.
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Burnie War Memorial, Tasmanian Amateur Athletics Association
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World War 1 Service

26 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 1970, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , An original member of 9th Battery
20 Oct 1914: Involvement Gunner, 1970, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: ''
20 Oct 1914: Embarked Gunner, 1970, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Geelong, Hobart
2 Nov 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade
20 Feb 1918: Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade
4 Sep 1918: Involvement Sergeant, 1970, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1970 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-09-04

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Norman was one the five Crawford brothers from Hagley Tasmania who all served in the Australian Field Artillery. Only two of them survived the Great War. They were all aged between 18 and 24 years old.

Norman and Harold Crawford had enlisted on the same day in August 1914, and had served right through the Gallipoli campaign, as did Edward Crawford, in the same unit, who had enlisted a couple of months later. A fourth brother, Robert Crawford, joined them on Gallipoli during late 1915. Harold, an original Anzac, was sent home sick to Australia in March 1918.

Sergeant Norman Crawford was hit in the chest by shrapnel on the 4 September 1918, and died in a Casualty Clearing Station soon after, aged 24 years. He was buried in the Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres, France.

His brother, 2063 Gnr. Robert Abraham Crawford, also of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade had been killed in action at Flers 14 November 1916, aged 19. Another brother, 2327 Gnr. Edward Crawford, also of the same unit, died of wounds in Belgium 21 October 1917, aged 22.

The Hobart Mercury reported during September 1918, “Mr. G. Crawford, Burnie, yesterday received advice that his son, Norman Crawford, had succumbed to injuries received at the front about a fortnight back. Five of Mr. Crawford's sons enlisted, and Norman is the third to make the supreme sacrifice. One is still in the trenches, and the other returned about three months ago.”

They were the sons of George and Sarah Ann Crawford of Burnie, Tasmania.

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