Private
Joseph Michael Smith CRICHTON
Infantry
Died: 8th August 1915 - Age: 26

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Lone Pine Cemetery ANZAC11
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.120
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour15D GQS
4. Book:De Ruvigny's Roll of HonourVol.I
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Family :

Son of Alfred James and Ann Crichton, of 28, Sidecliff Rd., Sunderland, England. Farmer (1912)

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 16/Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 

BEAN 16th Battalion (S. Aust., W. Awt.1, 86, 89, 92, 93, M, 116, 199, 223, 713, 823, 877; at Quinn?s. 97-8, 126, 201, attacks from, 9-10 May, 101, 104, 107-11, casualties, 110-1, during Turkish attack of 19 May, 152, 163, 29 May, 206; strength, 28 May, 205n, 29 Aug., 76rn; at Imbros rest-camp, 351, ?81; in Battle of Sari Bair, ?590 et seq.. 653, 656, 658, 660, 661. 662,66jn.

BEAN p31n: shortage of rations in, aft Armistice.

Action : Gallipoli 

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

Detail :

Enlisted 1 April 1915 Originally from Sunderland Joins Battalion 30/7/15

CRICHTON, JOSEPH MICHAEL SMITH, Private. No. 2199, 16th Battn. Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force, 4th s. of Alfred James Crichton of Sunderland, by his wife, Ann (28 Sidecliff Road, Roker, Sunderland), dau. of Joseph Michael Smith; b. Sunderland, co. Durham, 16 March 1889; educ. at Redby School, and went to Australia in April, 1912, where he took up farming. After the outbreak of war he joined the Commonwealth Expeditionary Force in April, 1915, went to Egypt with the 16th Battn. in July, and was killed in action on Lone Pine, 8 Aug. 1915; unm. He had volunteered with some other Australians and Indians on some very hazardous work when he met his death. His Adjutant said of him " That he always did excellent work, but more particularly on the day of his death."

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Williamson No. 949 E.C.Northumberland

Initiated
Passed
Raised
18th March 1912
-
-
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2019-10-28 07:18:01