Pte David Crosby, Queensland Volunteers

[Stuart Brown]

This item appeared in a local paper and is added for information - I searched on Dabon Island but did not find anything.

Soldiers Terrible Experience in Gallipoli .

Pte David Crosby who was one of the first batch to join the Queensland Volunteers and is at present in Liverpool affords a remarkable case of wounds without death. During the fighting in Gallipoli he received a bayonet wound in the abdomen, a shot through the groin, a shot through the right elbow, a bullet in the chest and a bullet in the liver. He also sustained a broken wrist a broken finger and a fractured knee.Crosby is now about to report himself at hospital to undergo two operations. Crosby is a native of Liverpool and his family now reside at Woolton Road, Garston. He is 22 yrs of age. He went out to Australia four years ago and joined the volunteers on August 5 last. He was in action on August 16 at the capture of Dabon Island, one of the German possessions in the Pacific. He went on to Egypt and then to the Dardanelles, being in the second boat that landed on the beach at Gallipoli in a hail of lead. Through this he passed almost without a scratch. And it was on May 30 , within a period of three hours that he sustained his terible injuries. A man who saved Crosby's life was killed by the same bayonet that wounded Crosby. With all these injuries this brave young soldier lay in agony on the battlefield for 28 hours and was eventually dragged to a place of shelter by a man whose leg was broken.

[Blackblue]

Stuart,

Is listed on the WW1 Nominal Roll as 124 Bugler David CROSBY, 15th Battalion AIF, Enlisted 17/09/1915 - Returned to Australia 08/10/1915. The 15th Battalion was a Queensland Battalion. GIven that he returned to Australia before Gallipoli finished he was probably badly wounded. Bugler is a very rare rank in the AIF.

He was obviously a member of the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force which was raised to go to Rabaul and other German colonies in the South West Pacific to take possession of them in August 1914. He obviously joined the AIF on his return. He is listed in the nominal roll of the 15th Battalion history also as 124 David CROSBY.

You should be able to obtain his service papers from Australian Archives. You can order them online.

Regards

Tim D

[Stuart Brown]

Tim,

Thank you very much.

I just wanted to share the information and at the same time enquire about Dabon Island .

I am grateful for the information you have supplied.

Stuart

[christine liava'a]

See

here

for the story of the Australian invasion of Rabaul.

and

Vol x; The Australians at Rabaul

Official War History

Still looking for Dabon Island, but suspect it may be somewhere in the New Britain group

[Stuart Brown]

Christine,

Thank you. Learning all of the time.

Stuart

[Blackblue]

By the way he is mentioned in the battalion history. He was throwing bombs when he collided with another member of his company and he 'fell' on a bomb and was severely wounded eventually being discharged as a result. This was pretty early on in the piece. I would guess that the chances of him receiving all those other wounds were pretty remote. Perhaps trying to explain his accident?

[wooltonian]

Another report added for information

“Private David Crosby, formerly of Garston, now attached to the Australian contingent that played so gallant a part at the Dardanelles operations, has been wounded and was on the hospital ship at Malta. The nature of his injuries were not stated, but it is believed they are not serious. Private Crosby is the third son of Mr and Mrs S Crosby, 9 Woolton Road, Garston, who are proud to have four sons with the colours on land and sea. The eldest son, William, has served for some years in the navy: the second son, Bob, is in the Royal Field Artillery; and the fourth son, Sam, is on transport work.”

There was a fifth son, Henry, who would have been too young to join up at the time the above news item appeared in the local press. Aged 17, Cadet Henry Crosby set sail on SS Ava (Glasgow) from Liverpool on 26 January, 1917, with a general cargo including coal, which vessel was never seen again - all 92 crew presumed lost at sea.

Henry - Son of Samuel and Annie Crosby, 9 Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool. Born at Gateacre, Liverpool.

I’m searching for military personnel with any connection to Gateacre, Woolton or Hunts Cross. I’m working my way through local newspapers and will post any further info I find on the Crosby family.

[Droocoo]

I always thought that the record number of wounds suffered by a member of the AIF was 5?!

[Guest barbswilliams]

Another report added for information

"Private David Crosby, formerly of Garston, now attached to the Australian contingent that played so gallant a part at the Dardanelles operations, has been wounded and was on the hospital ship at Malta. The nature of his injuries were not stated, but it is believed they are not serious. Private Crosby is the third son of Mr and Mrs S Crosby, 9 Woolton Road, Garston, who are proud to have four sons with the colours on land and sea. The eldest son, William, has served for some years in the navy: the second son, Bob, is in the Royal Field Artillery; and the fourth son, Sam, is on transport work."

There was a fifth son, Henry, who would have been too young to join up at the time the above news item appeared in the local press. Aged 17, Cadet Henry Crosby set sail on SS Ava (Glasgow) from Liverpool on 26 January, 1917, with a general cargo including coal, which vessel was never seen again - all 92 crew presumed lost at sea.

Henry - Son of Samuel and Annie Crosby, 9 Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool. Born at Gateacre, Liverpool.

I'm searching for military personnel with any connection to Gateacre, Woolton or Hunts Cross. I'm working my way through local newspapers and will post any further info I find on the Crosby family.

Wooltonian,

I am the grand daughter of Pte David Crosby.

I didn't know him as he died long before I was born.

My mother had told me that he was wanting to enlist for WWII but was in hospital and died in 1939 from the bullet in the liver.

We don't know much about his family. I was interested reading the information about his brothers. I wonder if there are any Crosby relatives still in the Garston area?

David Crosby's only son was in the AIF and received the DFC.

[wullmackie]

His service papers online show

Wounded in action, bomb wound to abdomen,groin. right arm and left leg 17-5-15

vallatta hosp 24-5-15

2nd Gen Hosp Manchester 28-6-15

Aux Hosp Harefield Middx 17-9-15

embarked Plymouth for Aus 8-10-15

also

Embarked 8-8-14 for Thursday Island Garrison Duties

returned to Townsvile re trouble caused by firemen on board ship 18-9-14

did not participate in the capture of German New Guinea

All the best

Wull

[wooltonian]

Barbwilliams

My apologies for the delayed response to your request for info. There is currently a local newspaper that covers Garston and district called the Garston News. If you contact them at the following e-mail they may be willing to publish a request for help: garstonnews@tiscali.co.uk

Hope this proves of use to you.

Wooltonian.