CRAWFORD, John Wilson
| Service Number: | NX378 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 March 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Brigadier |
| Last Unit: | 11th Infantry Brigade Headquarters |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 8 July 1899 |
| Home Town: | Warrawee, Ku-ring-gai, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | B.A., LL.B. |
| Died: | Aircraft accident, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 7 March 1943, aged 43 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cairns War Cemetery, Queensland Plot A. Row A. Grave 15. , Kranji War Cemetery, Kranji, Singapore |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Freshwater Crash of De Havilland Dragon Memorial Plaque |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Brigadier, NX378 | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 1940: | Enlisted Lieutenant Colonel, NX378, 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion, Ex-Commander of the Sydney University Regiment. Tasked to raise the 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion from scratch. | |
| 18 Mar 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Brigadier, NX378 | |
| 10 Apr 1941: | Involvement Lieutenant Colonel, NX378, 2nd/17th Infantry Battalion, Siege of Tobruk, "Cake Eater" Crawford (as he was affectionately known by his troops) commanded the 2/17th Infantry Battalion throughout their stint during the Siege of Tobruk, Libya. | |
| 7 Mar 1943: | Wounded Brigadier, NX378, 11th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Whilst on military Operations, was fatally wounded in an accidental air crash into dense jungle in North Queensland. |
Help us honour John Wilson Crawford's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by David Barlow
De Havilland Dragon A34-24 was on hire from McRobertson and Muir Airways of the Northern Territory and was being used for courier work around far north Queensland by RAAF Number 5 Communications Flight when it crashed in the Jigol Peak area in Freshwater Gorge near Cairns (Crystal Cascade) during a flight from Cairns to Mareeba
Killed were:
Sergeant Lindsay James Sutherland McColl, pilot, 405796
Brigadier John Crawford NX378 DSO Commander of 11 Brigade
Lieutenant Arthur William Morris of the 26th Battalion NX145684
Two seriously injured survivors were found four days after the crash wandering around in the bush: Lieutenant Colonel Philip Heathcote George Cardale NX483 of the 31st Battalion / Australian Army Staff Corps (discharged April 1947)
Aircraftman Ronald Henry Appleby 412876 RAAF crewman (discharged March 1946)
Click images to start slideshow.