Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Walter CRIGHTON
Born: 8 February 1894, Waaia, VIC.
Died: 25 April 1971, Caringbah, NSW.
Occupation: Farmer

Walter was the eighth child of eleven born to Rebecca Rachel PARKER and John CRIGHTON

Walter or Wattie as he was known grew up on his parent's farm near Numurkah in the parish of Baulkamaugh. After leaving school he most likely worked on his father’s farm.

In March 1909 when Wattie was only 15 he entered the Sparrow Destruction Competition held by the Agricultural Society. They gave prizes for the highest 'head' count and highest 'egg' count. Wattie had the second-highest headcount with 326. The winner was Russell SCILLEY from Katunga with 402. The total 'heads' was 1034. The total 'eggs' was 7348. The winner was P. QUINN from Wunghnu with 2113. The article in The Numurkah Leader didn’t mention what the prizes were.

Walter moved up into New South Wales where he share farmed near Lockhart in the Riverina. There is an advertisement in The Lockhart Review dated April 1916 advertising the sale of farming plant, etc on account of Mr. W Crighton.

Moving back to Numurkah, on 27 October 1915 Wattie enlisted into the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF), Army. Service number 2161. He did his initial training at Royal Park, Melbourne before transferring to Seymour, Victoria with the 15th Reinforcements, 4th Light Horse Brigade for further training.

On his application form, Wattie indicated that he had 4 years of previous service with Light Horse. It is possible that he did militia service. These records, if they have survived have not been catalogued as yet.

Universal Military Training was introduced in Australia from 1911 and males aged between 18 and 60 were required to perform militia service.

Whilst on leave several friends met Wattie in the Baulkamaugh Methodist church to bid him farewell. On behalf of those present, he was presented with a wallet.

On 9 March 1916, Wattie embarked from Melbourne on the ‘HMAT Katuna’ to England where he did further training with the 7th Battalion before embarking for France on 15 September 1916 where he was transferred to 65 Battalion. In December he became seriously ill and was hospitalised and transferred via ‘HMHS St. Andrew’ hospital ship back to England. Walter spent many months in England recovering from Bronchitis. Back home it was reported in The Numurkah Leader that Walter was seriously ill with bronchial pneumonia.

On 18 October 1917, Wattie returned to the front in France with the 7th Battalion and on 17 April 1918 they were near Viuex Berquin and Nieppe on the border with Belgium when he was wounded with a gunshot wound to his left leg and foot which was fractured. He also had various flesh wounds to his hands, leg and head.

After spending some time in the 13 USA general hospital, Wattie was transferred to Surry, England on 24 May 1918 and returned to Australia via the ‘HT Margha’ ship on 18 January 1919. He was discharged on 1 October 1919.

While Wattie was in hospital in England he had a visit from his brother Robert who was living in Canada and had been fighting with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Forces and was heading back to Canada.

In an article from the Ardlethan & District Centenary Book 1908-2008 it stated, ‘Walter was gassed and wounded in 1918 and spent two years in Melbourne Hospital after returning. He nearly lost his leg and carried a lot of shrapnel to his grave’. Wattie lost a finger and a toe as well.

Wattie continued farming and acquired some land at Grong Grong, 21 kilometres east of Narrandera, NSW.

In 1924 Wattie got himself caught up in a land dispute that ended up in the court at Narrandera. In March 1922 Herve DIDAILLER had purchased a homestead selection of 480 acres near Narrandera, NSW at auction from Patrick KENNEDY and Herbert RYAN with a condition that he not default on payments. It was alleged that DIDAILLER had defaulted and KENNEDY and RYAN then on-sold the property privately to Walter. The matter went to court as DIDAILLER refused to vacate and had also lodged a caveat against the registration of transfer. In August 1924 the magistrate Acting Justice MANGHAN ordered that DIDAILLER deliver up the property within 14 days and to remove the caveat. (This may be the property that Wattie owned at Grong Grong) The article in The Narrandera Argus did not specify the parish or allotment number of the land. Possibly portions 5 & 16, parish of Lupton.

Wattie married Annie NEAVE on 11 April 1925 in the Presbyterian Church at Undera, Victoria by the Reverend S. WILLIAMS. Undera is a small town about 23 kilometres southwest of Numurkah. The bridesmaids were Annie’s sister Nellie NEAVE and friend Coy RANDELL. The best man was Wattie’s brother Frank and the groomsman was Annie’s brother James NEAVE. After the wedding, a reception was held at Annie's parent's farm. They spent their honeymoon at Mentone, Melbourne.

Annie Elizabeth NEAVE was one of three children born on 11 August 1899 at Leitchville, VIC (15 Kilometres southeast of Cohuna) to Richard John NEAVE and Sarah GRANT.

Annie started life on her parent's farm at Wee Wee Rup, 7 Kilometres southeast of Cohuna. Around 1902 when Annie was about 3, her parents leased their farm and moved to King Island for 5 years and then returned to Wee Wee Rup. King Island is 240 kilometres off the southern coast of Victoria.

Around 1920 when Annie was 21 she moved with her parents to a farm at Undera that they called ‘Chesterton’.

Annie came from a musical family, her father having won a singing scholarship when he was growing up in England. Whilst at Wee Wee Rup Annie and her siblings had music lessons. Their teacher, Miss MATHERS stayed the night at their house on her weekly visits for their lessons and after the lessons, she would entertain the family by playing the piano. Annie and her brother Jim gained their ALCM Diploma (Associate of the London College of Music).

Annie continued with her lessons with Miss BOWDEN and gained her LLCM Diploma (Licentiate of the London College of Music (LLCM). Annie was teaching music herself when she gained her LLCM and taught from the age of 17 until she married Walter.

After Wattie and Annie returned from their honeymoon they resided at Grong Grong, where Walter had a farm which was possibly called ‘Sunnyside’.
Annie continued playing the piano and in October 1925 at a farewell for Mr & Mrs MITCHELL, she entertained them with a pianoforte solo. The Mitchells were quite prominent in the area, he had been the Grong Grong stationmaster for the past five years and Mrs Mitchell was well known for her charity work.

Sometime around 1928 Wattie and Annie purchased a farm at Kamarah, east of Ardlethan, NSW from Eber COOKE. The farm was 990 acres, being portion 12, Parish of Yalgogoring. The farm was called ‘Allambie’ although other reports stated ‘May Park’. They grazed sheep on the farm as well as growing wheat, oats and barley crops. They lived here for the next 28 or so years.

In July 1928 a sheep brand (tar or paint) was registered for Walter CRIGHTON of ‘May Park’, Kamarah.

Annie’s father Richard died at Undera on 16 July 1928 at the age of 65. He left real estate to the value of £4960 and personal property of £967 to his wife and 3 children.
Wattie and Annie had two sons and two daughters. McDonald (Don) Neave was born on 13 March 1926 in Narrandera, Elizabeth (Betty) June was born on 7 January 1928 in Narrandera, Grahame (Jim) Hunter was born on 27 June 1930 in Ardlethan and Marjorie Josephine was born on 25 February 1934 in Ardlethan.
The children rode their bikes three miles to the Kamarah Public School. Don had to dink Betty for the first year.

Annie’s mother Sarah died in the Murchison Bush Nursing Hospital in 1936 at the age of 73.

On 24 March 1937, Wattie’s mother Rebecca died in Numurkah at the age of 77. She is buried in the Numurkah Cemetery.

In May 1940, Wattie was one of twelve farmers who competed in the Ardlethan P & C Society’s Fodder Conservation Competition. The competitors scored points for six categories including suitability, quality and carrying capacity. Wattie scored 152 points with the winner, J. TURNBULL & son of ‘Sherwood Park’ scoring 162 points.

On 2 April 1942 Wattie enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces, Army, service number N202360. He was part-time with 18 Battalion Volunteer Defence Corp. He did some training in Sydney but did not see active service. He was discharged on 25 September 1945 with the end of the Second World War (WW2) and the disbandment of his corp.

Wattie’s father John passed away at his home at the age of 90 on 12 July 1944. He is buried with Rebecca in the Numurkah Cemetery.

Wattie was involved with various organisations. In March 1938 and again in April 1940 he was elected as one of two vice presidents of the Kamarah P & C. In October 1940 a branch of the Red Cross Society was formed in Kamarah with Wattie being elected president. In October 1945 the Kamarah Bush Fire Brigade was granted registration and Wattie was elected as one of two Deputy Captains. He was still one of the deputy captains in 1951.

Wattie followed Australia Rules football, was an active member of the Farmers and Settlers Association, a foundation member of the Ardlethan Rifle Club and a member of the Ardlethan Sub-Branch R.S.L. (Returned Services League).

Annie kept playing the piano and organ and played for both the Presbyterian and Methodist churches at Kamarah. She was also involved in the local CWA (Country Women's Association).

They had an orchid on the farm and Annie made preserves and jams.
Selling the farm to their son Don (McDonald Neave) and his wife Miriam, Wattie and Annie had retired by 1954 and moved to Caringbah, a southern suburb of Sydney where they lived at 166 Willarong Rd. They lived with their daughter Betty (Elizabeth), their son Grahame and his wife Pamela.

A few years later they all moved to 478 Port Hacking Rd, Caringbah. Annie still kept playing into her retirement and played the organ for the Caringbah Methodist Church. Wattie took up lawn bowls. He enjoyed fishing in his “Tinnie" and making furniture for the family. Wattie had his boat parked on a vacant block of land at nearby Yowie Bay that had a deep water jetty.

Wattie died at home at the age of 77 on 25 April 1971. He died of carcinoma of the lungs (lung cancer) and is buried in the Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland, Sydney, NSW.

In an obituary article in one of the newspapers they stated, “Wattie always had a cheerful outlook and in his younger days, like many of his generation, was a fine horseman”.

Annie and her daughter Betty sold the house at Caringbah and moved to Bowral, 5 kilometres south of Mittagong, NSW where they lived at 3 Aitken Rd.

Annie died at the age of 91 on 7 December 1990 at Bowral.