Following the success in locating the descendants of Private Henry (Harry) Cressy we are now seeking help in locating descendants of another Australian digger from the Great War, Private William Henry Craine, No 7093.
Private Craine’s portrait, like that of Private Cressy, has been donated to the Families and Friends of the First AIF by foundation member Ross St Claire and it is hoped that we can have a happy ending to this story as we did with the descendants of Harry Cressy. You can read Private Cressy’s story by clicking here.
Photo: Private William Henry Craine
William Craine was twenty years old when he enlisted in the AIF on the 10th August 1915 in Melbourne his attestation papers stated that he was a motor mechanic. William lived at home with his widowed father, Thomas Craine and his sister Clara, at 4 Washington St, Toorak, Victoria. Filed in Private Craine’s Service Record is the enlistment consent letter from his father, Thomas, written on the letterhead of the family business. It is highly probable that William worked with his father in the family business, in a Carriage Factory at Princes Bridge, City Road, Melbourne – Motor Car, Carriage and Buggy Manufacturer & Importer.
William had served for three years in the school cadets at Warnambool College followed by twelve months service in the militia as a member of the 49th Infantry. When he entered the Warnambool and later the Broadmeadow Training Camp of the AIF he would have been familiar with bivouacking under canvas.
Private Craine’s first 15 months of service with the AIF was spent in Australia before he embarked as a member of the 8th Battalion, 23rd Reinforcements from Melbourne on 23rd November, 1916 aboard HMAT Hororata bound for Plymouth. His arrival in Britain coincided with the coldest winter on record and within a fortnight he was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, from Durrington Camp, suffering from bronchitis. After two weeks treatment he was discharged and joined the 2nd Training Battalion back at Durrington where after a further 2 months he joined the draft for overseas service on 4 June 1917.
Private Craine marched into the Australian Divisional Base Depot at Le Havre before re-joining the 8th Battalion on 27 June 1917. At that time the 8th Battalion, located south of Messines was under heavy fire from German artillery and mortar attacks. Private Craine was in the field with the Battalion until late July, during which time the Battalion marched south to Albert and took part in the Battle of Pozieres. On 26 July 1917 William’s Service Record, which can be viewed on line at The National Archives of Australia, shows he was admitted first to 2nd Australian Field Ambulance then onto 56th Casualty Clearing Station finally being admitted to the 12th General Hospital at Rouen suffering from ‘debility’, on 9 August.
Private Craine rejoined the 8th Battalion on 10 September 1917 in the field in the front line trenches in the Ypres Sector. After less than a month in the front line he was hit by a shell and killed on the Passchendaele Ridge, on 4 October. The Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files, available on line at the Australian War Memorial, give an insight to how he was killed. Private B. Costin (6966) stated:
Craine was in my platoon, he was a short fellow of about 22, I should say and thin. He was fair and clean shaven. He was not very strong and rather sickly. At Broodeseinde Ridge, Passchendaele Ridge we were going up to dig a strong post. We were an engineers party. We were walking in single file. I saw a shell drop and kill Craine instantly and a man next to him called Steve Harrison was so affected that he was seized with shell shock. I was not more than 7 or 8 yards away. I cannot give any details of his burial.
Private W.J. Long (6881) stated:
I knew the casualty ….he was known as Bill. Casualty was advancing at Passchendaele Ridge. I was in the same advance. He was about 50 yards from me and from the objective. An H.E. {high explosive} shell exploded near him killing him instantly. I saw the casualty as I was coming back and he was still lying in the same place. I do not know where he was buried.
Private Craine’s Service Record shows his final resting place as Ypres Reservoir Cemetery where he was reburied after his body had been exhumed from his original grave, in July 1921, by the Imperial War Graves Commission.
It is hoped that through the many visitors to this website that we may be able to re-unite the photographic portrait of Private William Henry (Bill) Craine with his family. If you have any information which could be of assistance, in achieving this aim, please contact the Web Editors at: projectfffaif@yahoo.com.au
Lest We Forget