Our People - Crozier Family of Walton-le-Dale |
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Richard Crozier was born in Preston 7 February 1857. He married Jane Walsh (b.1855) on 27 May 1877 at St. Leonard's Parish Church, Walton-le-Dale. The couple would go on to have eleven children together - six girls and five boys. Four out of the five boys served in the military and three of them were killed in action. Richard was a secretary and bookkeeper at one of the local mills. The family lived at Walton Green in 1881 and had moved to 6 North Ribble Street in 1891.
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2008 press article on the Crozier Family
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#124113 Gunner George Stafford Crozier
231st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery Killed in action 29 March 1918 Mezieres Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. Ref D.13 Son of Richard and Jane Crozier, of Walton House, Walton-le-Dale, Preston; husband of Violet Mabel Crozier, of 84, Berry Lane, Longridge, Lancs. INSCRIPTION: "HE DARED FOR THAT SWEET MOTHERLAND NOBLY TO DO,NOBLY TO DIE" The first of the boys to strike out on his own was George Stafford Crozier (b. 5 November 1880) who lived in Alfreton, Cheshire and was working then as a watchmaker. George married Violet Mable Brighouse 12 September 1907 at South Wingfield, Derbyshire - Violet's home village. George and Mabel set up shop and home at 54 Bridge Street, Northampton soon afterward. A daughter, Edith Muriel, arrived 20 August 1908. Another daughter, Mary Eileen, arrived 15 May 1912 by which time the family had settled back in the Preston area at 84 Berry Lane, Longridge.
George attested with the Royal Garrison Artillery on 9 December 1915 and was posted to the Army Reserve the following day. He was mobilized 27 October 1916 and posted the same day. On 28 October 1916 he joined RGA No.2 Depot. He was eventually posted to 231st Siege Battery RGA in the field on 17 September 1917. This was the battery he was with at the time of his death. George went home on a two week furlough from 28 February to 14 March 1918. His daughter Mary Eileen would later remember this leave. She said that it was memorable because her father took her and her big sister to a local toy shop where he bought her a purse - an item she still had in her possession in 2008. George returned to the front about one week before the German Army launched their spring 1918 offensive, Operation Michael. He was with his battery near Amiens when they were probably overran by this offensive. He was buried near to where he fell - an isolated grave, 13 miles south of Amiens, 20 miles due west of Roye, 10 miles SW of the High road from Amiens to Roye. Mabel received a letter along with George's belongings 15 July 1918. The items returned were 8 unopened letters, a newspaper, pocket book, diary, watch chain, knife, photos, cards, wallet, pencil, purse, wrist watch and a testament. George's body was later exhumed 18 January 1921 and reburied along with many of his comrades in the extension to Mezieres Communal Cemetery |
George Stafford Crozier
Image courtesy of John Mitchell
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#12/628 Sergeant Henry Cyril Crozier
12th (Service) Battalion (Sheffield), York and Lancaster Regiment (Sheffield Pals) 94th Brigade, 31st Division Killed in action 1 July 1916 Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 14A and 14B Henry Cyril Crozier (b. 10 May 1888) lived with his parents at 6 North Ribble Street up to 1901. He studied hard and was teaching in Sheffield by 1911. He joined the 12th (Service) Battalion (Sheffield) of the York and Lancaster Regiment. This Battalion was the 'Sheffield Pals' Regiment.
Within a month of Britain’s declaration of war against Germany on 4th August 1914, the Duke of Norfolk and Sir George Franklin presented themselves at the War Office to propose the formation of a Sheffield battalion recruited from both university and commercial men. The proposal was readily accepted and on 10th September enlistment began at the Corn Exchange for the Sheffield City Battalion, the 12th (Service) Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment. Henry was living at 4 Beeton Road, Sheffield at the time he enlisted with the 12th. He was immediately posted as a sergeant He then went into training with the battalion at Redmires Camp, followed by spells at Ripon and Salisbury. While still on home shores, Henry married Clara Lockwood, a local Sheffield woman in the second quarter of 1915. Henry's first taste of overseas service began on 21 December 1915 when the 12th embarked for Egypt to defend the Suez Canal against an expected Turkish attack. They were then redeployed to the Somme region of France and sailed from Port Said 10 March arriving at Marseille 15 March 1916 and then moving northward through France via train. The Battalion detrained on the 18th March at Pont Remy and after spending a week or so here in training, marched on by Longpre, Vignacourt – where parties were sent up to do duty with more experienced troops in the trenches – and Beauquesne to Bertrancourt, where the Battalion remained until the 2nd April on which date it took over 1,300 yards of front line trenches three-quarters of a mile west of Serre. There, the 12th made up part of the new 31st Division. The 31st Division, a New Army division made up of Pals battalions, was to capture Serre and then turn north to form the northern defensive flank of the Fourth Army. The 31st Division attacked uphill from several copses and the two attacking brigades were engaged by the Germans with small-arms fire, firing 74,000 bullets when repelling the attack. Small groups of the Accrington Pals and the Sheffield City Battalion, managed to cross no man's land and reach Serre and a party advanced 1.25 mi (2.01 km) to Pendant Copse, before being cut off and killed or captured. Reserve Infantry Regiment 121 was confronted by the British attack before all the troops had emerged from their dugouts. More than three infantry sections were blown up in the mine explosion at Hawthorn Redoubt, the rest of the garrison being trapped until the end of the attack. A counter-attack towards the redoubt by two platoons gradually bombed the British back; after an hour only the troops in the Heidenkopf remained and it was re-captured during the night. Reserve Infantry Regiment 119 lost 292 casualties, Reserve Infantry Regiment 121 lost 560 men, Infantry Regiment 169 had 362 casualties and the 31st Division suffered 3,600 casualties - of which Henry was one. During his service, Henry was awarded the Military Medal, but it is unknown how this award came about as detailed records were not kept and a newspaper account has not been found. Henry left £197 10s 11d to his brother Frank Braham Crozier. His body was never recovered and as such he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing of the Somme. |
Serre (Somme) 1916 by Wilhelm Sauter
Image in the Public Domain
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#167483 Gunner Richard Leonard Crozier
C Battery, CII (102) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery 23rd Division Killed in action 11 December 1917 Giavera British Cemetery, Arcade, Italy. Ref I.E.3 Son of Richard and Jane Crozier, of Walton-le-Dale, Preston, Lancs. INSCRIPTION: "MY WORK SHALL ANSWER SINCE I KNEW THE RIGHT AND DID IT." Richard Leonard Crozier (b. 5 October 1877) was the eldest of the boys who went off to war. Richard became a printer and ran his own business in the area of Three Tuns Yard, Preston. This yard was on North Road near the site of the present day ringway. According to the 1917 Commercial Directory of Preston he was in business with Thomas Leach and Richard C. Pye as Letterpress printers.
Richard married Elizabeth Ellen Walker in the third quarter of 1907. It would seem that the couple were childless as no births have been found. He lived at 69 Selbourne Street, Preston in 1911 and at Walton House, Walton-le-Dale at the time of his death. It isn't known when or how Richard joined the Royal Field Artillery, but the fact that he received the British War Medal and Victory Medal, but not the 1914 or 1914/15 Star suggests he first saw action after 1 January 1916. Therefore he could have been a volunteer late in 1915 or a conscripted man after 1 January 1916. 102 Brigade RFA made up part of the 23rd Division and they saw action in 1916 on the Somme and in 1917 at Messines Ridge and Third Ypres. The division were redeployed to the Italian Front in late 1917. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website has this to say about operations in Italy: Commonwealth forces were at the Italian front between November 1917 and November 1918. On 4 December 1917, the XIth and XIVth British Corps relieved the Italians on the Montello sector of the Piave front, with the French on their left. The Montello sector acted as a hinge to the whole Italian line, joining that portion facing north from Mount Tomba to Lake Garda with the defensive line of the River Piave covering Venice, which was held by the Third Italian Army. The Commonwealth troops on the sector were not involved in any large operations, but they carried out continuous patrol work across the River Piave, as well as much successful counter battery work. It is possible that Richard died on 11 December 1917 as a result of an enemy artillery or air attack. He is buried in plot I.E.3 at Giavera British Cemetery, Arcade, Italy. He left £895 7s 11d to his wife in his will. |
An Italian selling goods to British troops at Rivasecca. This village was part of the British defences on the Montello and was held by 23rd Division in December 1917.
© IWM (Q 26279)
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#58342 Sapper Robert Harold Crozier (Survived)
Signalling depot, Royal Engineers Robert Harold Crozier (23 June 1886) lived with his parents at 6 North Ribble Street and later at Walton House in Walton-le-Dale. He went into an apprenticeship with E. Dewhurst at their Mount Street Works in Preston about 1900.
Robert attested at Preston on 4 December 1914. He went along to the attestation armed with recommendations from his employers testifying to his character and his ability in the field of electrics. He was examined for service with the Royal Engineers and his standard was found to be very good. There is a paper on his service file which shows that he was specially selected for service with the RE. It was remarked that he was an "Intelligent and active recruit very promising for expert branch." Details from his physical examination show that he stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 142 pounds. His chest measured 36 inches and expanded 3 inches. He also had a small mole at the base of his neck. The rest of the records are indistinct but show that he was posted to the signalling depot of the Royal Engineers 10 May 1915. He first served abroad in Egypt, landing there 29 July 1915. Robert suffered from dysentry and between 20 March and 22 April 1916 he was treated for this condition at 2nd General Hospital in Manchester and he continued to have abdominal problems throughout his service. He was treated for a gunshot wound to his right buttock and a shrapnel injury to his eyelid in October 1918. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Robert married Emily Parkinson in the first quarter of 1923. They named their son Henry Cyril (b.1924) after Robert's brother. |
Reference from Robert Harold Crozier's employer E. Dewhurst
Ancestry UK |