Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Colin Arthur Bernard CRUWYS was the fifth and youngest child of his namesake, Colin Dennis Cruwys and Sarah Fletcher.

Young Colin was born at 53 Merton Street Rozelle on 30th April, 1895.[i]    His baptism was held when he was five weeks old at St. Thomas Church of England, Balmain on 5th June.  

His father owned and operated a Blacksmith shop at the back of their Merton Street home, and it is here that Colin spent many hours learning the basics of the trade – including working on the new-fangled motor cars, which his father had quickly adapted his skills to encompass. 

In 1910, at the age of 15 years, Colin Arthur CRUWYS commenced work as an Engineer Draughtsman with Hartley and Doyle in Sydney, and at 17 years of age he joined the 6th Field Coy. A.E., Royal Australian Engineers.[ii]

When war broke out a few years later he felt his knowledge could well be utilised, and therefore, on 13th March, 1916 – aged just one month shy of his 21st birthday, and with the permission of both of his parents – he enlisted for Service in the A.I.F.[iii]

He was 5’8” tall, with blue eyes and light brown hair and from all accounts he was a good looking young man.

He was sent to B Company Depot Battalion at Goulburn for his initial training, before being transferred to 55th Battalion, and then to OC Showground Camp at Moore Park.

Interestingly in September that same year, his superiors must have considered him suitable to be trained in the Australian Flying Squadron, where they were flying some of the earliest Bi-planes ever built.    It is more than likely, that with his engineering background, Colin worked on Bristol Box Kites and Sopwith Camels etc.

By the end of October he found himself in Melbourne, where he boarded the “Ulysses” for overseas duty. 

Two months later, he arrived in Plymouth, England, and was assigned to the 69th Australian Squadron Flying Corp. He appears to have worked at Lincoln, for the next 6 or 8 months before heading across to France where he apparently served out the rest of the war.  In early 1918 he was transferred to the Central Wireless Station “in the field”, but it was not noted exactly “where”.

It hasn’t been established as to whether he was working close to any specific conflicts, but thankfully he doesn’t appear to have been injured or hospitalised during this time.[iv]

After the War ended, he was retained in England for nearly 12 months, and during that time he married a local lass, Alice Ethel Blackburn.   This union took place in All Saints Church of England Church, Lincoln, Lincolnshire on 11th March, 1919.     It seems possible that they may have met when he was first posted to Lincoln and their friendship and love grew from that time.    Alice herself was a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp.

Colin (who was usually known as Arthur to distinguish him from his father) finally returned to Australia on HT “Katoomba” on 25th September, 1919 and was discharged on 7th December. Thankfully, Alice was able to travel on the same Troop ship with him, instead of having to wait till a later date to travel on one of the many War-Bride ships.

Colin’s cousin Kelso Cruwys had recently returned from the War himself and was living in Merrylands.  It seems that Colin and Alice now moved in with them temporarily till they found a home of their own.  

During this time The Merrylands Hands of Welcome held a reunion for returned soldiers of the district.   Private Kelso Cruwys was invited, along with his cousin Trooper Colin Cruwys.  

Colin and Alice soon moved back to the Balmain/Rozelle area, where they set up home and a Motor Mechanic business in close proximity to where his parents and other relatives were still living.

A few years later, during a time of worker’s unrest in the early years of the Depression, Colin received a number of threats due to him participating in volunteer work at Bell and Frazer Timber Yard.[v]   On 2nd May, 1929 those threats were finally carried out when about 30 men used violence against him and three other workers.  (See attached newspaper articles).

On the way to work that morning their cars were hit with bricks, stones, bottles and other missiles. The assault, which was intended to prevent them going to work, took place in Balmain Rd, Leichhardt.[vi]  During the affray a bottle crashed through the windscreen of Colin’s car and he was hit on the head, leaving him bleeding and momentarily stunned.[vii]   Thankfully he was not badly injured, but the attackers used the opportunity to surge forward.   However, police were quickly on the scene and the mob scatted, with some being caught and later charged.[viii]

After the Depression Colin resumed his old occupation of Engineer, and during the 1930’s they lived at the same location as his Motor Mechanic business at 10 Alberto Street, Lilyfield.

Sadly, Colin (Arthur) and Alice had no children of their own, although they were very close to his nieces and nephews.  But before 1949 (maybe during the 2nd World War) they made a decision to move to Edward Street, Wagga Wagga, where he possibly once again assisted with mechanical work on the newer aeroplanes of the day. 

In 1951 Alice took a holiday back home to her birthplace, returning to Australia in January 1952, while probably not realising that she would soon travel back to England just a few years later.

Colin Arthur Bernard Cruwys died at Wagga Wagga RAAF base on 29th August, 1953, but was buried at Field of Mars Cemetery, Ryde.   (This being where most of the Cruwys family were buried.)

Without family of her own here in Australia, Alice felt distraught and alone without Arthur, and decided to move back to her home-town and family in Lincoln, England.    Here she lived out the next 30 years, before dying in St. Paul’s Nursing home at Waddington on 18th July, 1983 at the age of 90 years.  

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As a totally unrelated aside, Colin’s father (Colin Snr) had married a lass by the name of Sarah and unbelievably, three of Colin Snr’s four brothers had also married a “Sarah”.         Oh yes, and Colin Snr’s mother was also Sarah.

Thus, in the Balmain area, there were five wives by the name of Sarah Cruwys.   And to make it even more confusing, they were a close-knit family and all went to the same Church and other local functions together.  J  J     

[i]    NSW Birth Certificate – Colin Arthur Bernard Cruwys.
[ii]  From research by Judith Cruwys-Bowen – 1995.
[iii]   AIF Service Record – Colin Arthur Cruwys. WW1     
[iv]   AIF Service Record – Colin Arthur Cruwys. WW1
[v]   The Canberra Times Friday 3 May 1929 - Page 1
[vi]   Sydney Morning Herald, 3rd May, 1929.
[vii]  Daily Telegraph – 8th May, 1929.
[viii] Sun (Sydney) – Thurs.2nd May, 1929