19th BATTALION - 34th BATTALION AIF
Private: 7050 John Cecil CROWE.
Born: 12th July 1893. Railway line near Bethungra via Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia. Birth Cert:11818/1893.
Married: 14th March 1921 Auburn, New South Wales, Australia. Marriage Cert:4226/1921.
Wife: Nita Alma Crowe. nee: Thatcher. (1897-1974)
Died: 18th of April 1936. Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia. Death Cert:10207/1936.
Father: Robert Daniel Crowe. (1853-192)
Mother: Emily Elizabeth Crowe. nee: Parish. (1863-1938)
INFORMATION
No.7050 John Cecil CROWE was the older of two brothers that served together in WW1. He had previously trained with the 11th Light Horse Regiment (Citizens Military Forces) under the Universal Training Scheme.
Studio group portrait of 7776 Private (Pte) Wilfred Murray Cook, 13th Battalion, of Cootamundra (left), and brothers 7050 Pte John Cecil Crowe, 19th Battalion, of Cootamundra (seated) and 7051 Pte James Henry Crowe, 19th Battalion, of Cootamundra, NSW (right).
Both John Cecil CROWE and James Henry CROWE would transfer to and serve in the 34th Battalion AIF.
John was a 24 year old Labourer from Cootamundra in NSW when he enlisted in the AIF on the 6th of December 1917; commencing his service and entering camp on the 10th of January 1918.
John and his brother James embarked from Australia as members of the 21st Reinforcements of the 19th Battalion aboard the HMAT (A71) Nestor, which departed Melbourne on the 28th of February 1918 and arrived at Liverpool in England on the 20th of April. On arrival the Reinforcements travelled by train to Wiltshire, where they marched into the 5th Training-Battalion at Rollestone.
On the 5th of June 1918 the brothers were transferred to the 45th Battalion and on the 15th of July both deployed across from England to France, marching into the Base Depot at Havre.
On the 21st of July 1918 he and his brother were both transferred and taken-on-strength by the 34th BATTALION (Maitland’s Own). Both were posted into “C” Company.
John Cecil CROWE was with the 34th Battalion on the 8th of August 1918 when the Allies commenced the ‘August Offensive’ with the Battle of Amiens and started to drive the Germans out of their trenches and back toward the Hindenburg Line. His brother was KIA on the 22nd of August, in the 9th Brigade attack on Bray-sur-Somme.
John Cecil CROWE was with the 34th Battalion for the August Offensive and then the ‘Advance to the Hindenburg Line’ the following month.
11th November 1918 – the Germans signed an ARMISTICE which finally ends the war in Europe.
On the 29th of January 1919 he was attached to the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot. He was granted leave from the 15th to the 29th of April 1919, reporting to the Australian Base Reception Camp (Corps Reinforcement Camp) at Havre on the 30th.
On the 10th of June 1919 he proceeded from France back to England and marched into the No.2 Group Camp at Sutton Veny in Wiltshire.
He returned to Australia in July 1919 on board the Ulysses, disembarking on the 28th of September 1919.
He was discharged from the AIF on the 28th of September 1919.
He died (aged 42) on the 18th of April 1936 and was buried in the Cootamundra Cemetery.
(Bill Durrant: July 2018)
Family Information
John was a single 24 year old Labourer from Cootamundra in N.S.W. upon enlistment with the AIF. John served with the 11th Australian Light Horse prior to WW1. John was an ex Railway Employee.
(Family information supplied by Judith Kelly, Granddaughter of John Cecil Crowe. May 2019)
Military Records
© Commonwealth of Australia (National Archives of Australia)
Under Construction: 24/07/2018-29/05/2023.
Thank you for including my grandfather John “Jack” Cecil Crowe on your interesting website.
There is one error – my grandfather married Nita Alma Thatcher on 14th March 1921.
Reference: NSW BDM Marriage – 4226/1921 CROWE JOHN C THATCHER NITA A AUBURN.
My grandparents remained married until he died in 1936. His exact date of birth was 12th July 1893 and the place of birth was the railway line near Bethungra (which is near Cootamundra). If you would like copies of the certificates, then I am happy to provide them.
Kind regards, Judith
Thank you Judith for your family information. I hope to get it right but i’m glad to be corrected if when I do go on the wrong track. Documents and or photos would be greatly appreciated to add to his profile.
Regards
Dave H