Crake, Samuel Edward
No.6485 – Private Samuel Edward Crake – 11th Battalion AIF
Samuel Edward Crake was born in Fremantle Western Australia in 1893 to James and Louisa Crake. The family lived in Essex Street Fremantle and Samuel was educated both at Cottesloe Primary School and Fremantle Boys School. After leaving school Sam took up an apprenticeship in printing. He spent 5 years as an apprentice with Church books and after completing this time became a fully qualified Compositor.
The 1916 electoral roll shows Samuel living in Mason Street North Fremantle/Cottesloe. On the 14th March 1916 he went to the Perth recruitment office and offered his services to the AIF. He was given a medical examination and was passed as fit and therefore accepted. The medical examiner found Sam to be 5 feet 10 ½ inches tall, weight of 123 lbs; chest measurement of 31-33 inches; tanned complexion; brown eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
Initially allotted to No.62 Depot, in early May 1916 Sam was allotted to the 21st reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. This group trained in Western Australia for several months, only embarking on the 13th October 1916 when they boarded the transport ship H.M.A.T. “Port Macquarie”. Their long journey to England was completed on the 2nd December 1916 when they docked at Plymouth. After disembarking, Sam and his group were sent to the 3rd Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains. Sam would be in camp here for the next few months.
On the 3rd May 1917 Sam was included in a draft for overseas service and travelled to Folkestone where he departed for France. He would spend only a few days at the 1st Australian Division Base Depot and soon marched out to join the 11th Battalion on the 10th May 1917. The 11th Battalion were then to spend a few months out of the line as they rested from a busy past twelve months. In September 1917 the 11th Battalion made their way into Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. Sam fought in the Battle of Menin Rd and came through unscathed, however on October 4th 1917 he was sent to hospital sick with a pyrexia of unknown origin. Sam spent a few weeks in hospital in France before he was fit enough to return to the Infantry Base Depot. Sam returned to the 11th Battalion on the 23rd November 1917 and served with them in Belgium through the winter months. On the 26th January 1918 he was granted a much appreciated period of leave to England, returning to Belgium on the 6th February 1918.
The 11th Battalion would be in this vicinity until March when the Germans launched their massive spring offensive. The 1st Division was the last of the Australian divisions sent down to the Somme in early April to try and stem the German breakthrough when they were immediately recalled to the north as the Germans had just broken through up there.
Sent to the region around Hazebrouck, the 1st Division would stay in this region from April to July 1918 during which time they halted the German advance and began to recapture some of the German gains. The 11th Battalion saw much action around Merris, Meteren and Strazeele. Sam survived this period, though he was sent to hospital ill with enteritis in May but it didn’t keep him away from the battalion long.
In late July 1918, the 11th Battalion as part of the 1st Division were sent south to join the other Australian Divisions in the great attack from Amiens which was scheduled for August 8th. The 1st Division relieved other Australian units on the 9th August 1918 and the 11th Battalion was ordered to advance and capture Lihons on the 10th August and suffered horrendous casualties in doing so, and Sam came through unscathed. Unfortunately during their next big assault on August 23rd at Proyart, he wasn’t so fortunate and was killed in action. He was buried at Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres in plot VII.B.1