Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

CORPORAL NORMAN CRAVEN.
News was received on Saturday by Mr. Geo. Craven, 702 Dana street, of
the death from wounds on 7th August of his son, Corporal Norman Craven.
Corporal Craven was attached to D Co., 8th Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade,
and left with the First Expeditionary Force.
He had previously been wounded, and had returned to the front after recovery, only to succumb later. He had been mentioned in despatches by Sir Ian Hamilton for gallant conduct.

In a letter to his father, Mr G. W. Craven of Dana street. Corporal Norman Craven, who was wounded during the fighting in Gallipoli, has something interesting to say about his sojourn in hospital. His letter runs as follows:—

I write this from the Convalescent Hospital at this little village of Heleoun which is on the banks of the River Nile, about 1.5 miles from Cairo. Situated on the edge of this village, and built high up on solid rock, is the famous A Hayat Hotel, a beautiful big building, more like a palace than a first-class hotel for tourists. A Hayat was built some years ago by a German syndicate, and the books which I had the pleasure of looking through yesterday, contain names' of Counts, Lords, Sirs; in fact half the nobility of Europe seemed to have some time or other stayed at this bally hotel. The place is all marble and stone, and the promenade, galleries, rooms, halls, etc., are simply wonderful.

There are tennis courts (three of them), gardens, statues, and in one rocky enclosure there are a number of lovely African deer. This is our hospital, lent by somebody for the purpose, and some Greek firm has the catering for us (no bully beef here), niggers to wait on us and all. We have some style as we troop in at meal time to the big dining hall (Salie a Manger) as is written over the door.

I am right as pie now and will join the 8th as soon as the doctor will grant my discharge. I have had no mail since I landed on the Peninsula. Our battalion suffered pretty heavily over there, but by heavens they did well. They will not publish a casualty list here, and I do not yet know how many my game little section have gone under'. I know of four wounded, and I hope that is all, although I fear it will be more when the tally is made. My bullet entered just between the left shoulder and the neck, and came out between my shoulder blade. It was nothing, and I am quite right now. Some day I will tell you how the snipers nearly got me on my way back to the beach after I was shot. The Turks are inhuman, and you would not believe the things they do." - from the Ballarat Star 24 Jun 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161072156