Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

Pte 1643 Edwin Archibald CRAIG, 58th Battalion 

Great personal sadness can lead to many things. It changes a person’s perception, alters reality and often leads to decisions that in a more stable time might seem almost outrageous. The death of his beloved wife led to Arch Craig making a decision that would ultimately affect the one person he still had to love – their son.

When married his sweetheart, Eleanor Mary “Ella” Johnson, in 1911, the world must have seemed a particularly perfect place. There were no clouds on the horizon for the young couple – no hint of a world about to descend into war and no sign of personal heartbreak. Everything promised a totally rosy future.

Their connections to the district were particularly strong: Arch was born at Kingston in 1880, the youngest child of Thomas Craig and Augusta Mary Smith; whilst Ella was born at Ballarat East some eight years later. Her parents, Albert Johnson and Margaret Austin, were to play a pivotal role in future events.

Prior to marrying, Arch had settled in Scotsburn, south of Ballarat. He had completed his education at the Kingston State School before venturing out into the world in search of labouring work on the district’s farms. Arch and Ella set up home together in Scotsburn, and it was there that their son, Archibald Albert Craig, was born on 4 May 1912. At that time, life must have seemed complete.

However, events were about to overtake their personal idyll that would ultimately change the entire world.

It is not really known how long Ella had been ill. But the rapidity of her demise was particularly shocking for Arch. The world had entered into the first global conflict and large numbers of local men had already fallen on foreign battlefields, but for Arch everything centred on the failing health of his beloved wife. Desperate for a cure, Ella was sent to Portland in hopes that the sea air would provide some relief. Sadly, it made no difference as the medication she needed was years away from development. Ella died on 21 October 1915; she was just 27 years old.

It was a very sad procession as Ella’s body was brought back to Ballarat for burial in the Johnson family grave. Her funeral was particularly large and there was great sympathy for Arch and his little boy.
Overcome with grief, Arch made a life-changing decision to join the army. After leaving his son in the car of Ella’s mother, he enlisted at Ballarat on 11 March 1916.

Ballarat’s Doctor A. B. Campbell, who was responsible for conducting the medical examinations for a large number of the local volunteers, noted that Arch Craig was perfectly fit in all respects: he was 5-foot 8½-inches tall, weighed a substantial 13-stone 10-pounds, and could expand his chest to 39½ inches. He’d been vaccinated in childhood, had normal eyesight and seemingly had no dental issues that required attention. His seven years with a local rifle club certainly covered the “military experience” section of his attestation.

In signing over his allotment to his young son, Arch also made financial provision for his upkeep whilst he was away.

The time left for Arch with little Archie was painfully short – just seven weeks later he was onboard the troopship Port Lincoln sailing to Egypt with reinforcements for the newly raised 60th Infantry Battalion.

It took some months, and training in Egypt and England, before Arch Craig finally joined the 58th Battalion at Delville Wood on 14 February 1917.

Conditions in the front line were at their worst when Arch arrived. The winter had been incredibly bleak and the freezing mud was causing havoc with the feet of the men who were forced to stand for long hours in wet boots. Arch was soon ill. He was admitted to the 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospital at Doullens on 16 March suffering from trench feet and discharging ears.
After nearly a month out of the line, Arch rejoined his unit in the intermediate line at Beaulencourt on 17 April.

On 11 May the 58th Battalion was tasked with capturing and holding a portion of the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. The bombardment from the artillery of both sides was very heavy and unrelenting. During the course of the day Arch was caught in the blast of a shell and suffered concussion and bruising. He was admitted to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, before being transferred to hospital with shellshock. It was seven weeks before he was well enough to return to active duty.

Throughout this time, Arch’s only thought was for his son. He sent a stream of postcards back to Australia, many of them the treasured silk embroidered cards that carried personal messages to ‘my dear little boy’ and ‘my dear son,’ hoping to keep the threads of connection in place.

On 24 April 1918 the 58th Battalion took a major role in counterattacking the enemy after reports that the village of Villers-Bretonneux had been occupied by the Germans.

Two days later Arch Craig was dead.

Lieutenant William Flintoft, who regarded his men most highly, wrote of conditions faced by the troops.
‘…all of us were holding a line of trenches just in rear of the firing line, awaiting our orders to take over the front line, when suddenly towards the night hostile sniping became very prevalent. Pte Lowe, myself and many others had then to take to the trench for cover, unfortunately Pte Lowe was a little too late – he was shot through the head…’ Several others were killed by shellfire. No witnesses came forward to say what actually happened to Arch Craig on that fateful day.

His record just stated baldly: killed in action France. Reverend C. Hall, chaplain to the 58th Battalion, reported that Arch had been buried in the field where he fell.

For Margaret Johnson her concerns now focussed solely on the care of her young grandson. Although he was now an orphan, Archie was indeed fortunate in having such a kind and loving woman as his grandmother. Not only did she take charge of his financial well-being, she made provision to protect all mementos for young Archie, who would one day want to know all about his father. Sadly, most of Arch’s personal effects were lost at sea when the SS Barunga was sunk returning to Australia.

When Arch’s body was recovered from the battlefield and re-interred in the Crucifix Corner Cemetery just outside of Villers-Bretonneux, the Base Records Office asked Margaret to provide an inscription for the headstone over the grave of her son-in-law. Her concerns were simply expressed in her reply,
'…His next-of-kin is a son only 11 years of age and he is too young to move in the matter. Has (sic) I have had his Memory inscribed on our tombstone with his wife I cannot see my way clear to act has (sic) I have no idea of the cost. If you can give me some information concerning the cost you will oblige…'
After ascertaining the cost was 3½ pence per letter (for a maximum of 66 letters), Margaret asked, '…if you will please have these few lines inserted…Loved in life, honored in death, treasured in memory. Inserted by his son, Archibald Albert Craig…' This was abbreviated to "Loved in life, honored in death, treasured in memory by his son".

That treasured memory was to be maintained by the entire Craig family. Arch Craig will never be forgotten.