Name
John Henry Croft
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/02/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
KP/384
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Drake Bn. R.N. Div.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
QUEENS CEMETERY, BUCQUOY
IV. B. 16.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial,
St. Mary’s Church Memorial, Rickmansworth
Pre War
John Henry was born in Rickmansworth on the 25th of August 1896 and baptised thereon the 11th of October. His parents were John Henry and Jane (nee Cole) and his father was a Photographer. In 1901 they were living 4 Church Street, Church Row, Rickmansworth with their six children. In 1911 they were at 73 Church Street with John's father now a Greengrocer. John (jnr) became a gardener.
Recorded as enlisting in Crystal Palace, London.
Wartime Service
John enlisted in the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment as Private No 13939 on the 7th of September 1914, but three days later transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve at Crystal Palace.
He joined the Drake Battalion on the 3rd of November 1914 as Able Seaman No C/1363. At the outbreak of war there were some 20000 to 30000 naval reservists for whom there were no places on warships, sufficient to form two Naval Brigades and a Brigade of Marines. Entitled Royal Naval Division, and poorly equipped and trained, they saw early active service.
The Division was transferred from Naval authority to the War Office on the 29th of April 1916 having been redesignated the 63rd (Royal Naval)Division and deployed to France on the 12th/13th of May where they subsequently participated in many actions.
The advance to the Hindenburg Line began on the 11th of January 1917 and on the 4th of February when John was killed in action, Drake Battalion was engaged in operations in the appalling mud along the river Ancre.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Mike Collins
