No.5573 – Private Harold Simpson Crellin – 28th Battalion AIF
Harold Simpson Crellin was born in Brunswick Melbourne Victoria in 1891 to Edward and Mary Crellin. The family moved across to WA when Harry was still young and took up residence in 141 Hope St White Gum Valley. (Later renumbered to 91 Hope Street).
Harold attended White Gum Valley Primary School and after leaving took up an apprenticeship with Rendell Boot makers in Fremantle. This apprenticeship lasted for five years, after which time he was qualified as a Boot Maker.
On the 13th March 1916 aged 24 Harold went to the Fremantle Recruitment Office and offered his services to the AIF. He was accepted as fit, with the medical officer finding him to be 5 feet 4 ½ inches tall, weight of 113 lbs; chest measurement of 30-24 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
Initially allotted to No.56 Depot, on the 1st May 1916 Harry was assigned to the 15th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF. This group trained in WA for the next few months, only embarking on their transport ship H.M.A.T. “Surada” from Fremantle on the 16th September 1916.
Harry and his group arrived at Plymouth England on the 21st November 1916 and after disembarking were sent to the 7th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains. Their stay here was just on a month as on the 21st December 1916 he embarked at Folkestone bound for France. After arriving at Etaples, Harry marched into the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot where he stayed for a few more weeks. On the 17th January 1917 Harry left the Base Depot to join his unit and was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion on the 18th January.
Not long after Harry’s arrival, the Germans began to withdraw towards the Hindenburg Line. Several battles were fought in the outpost villages. On the 26th March 1917 at Lagnicourt the 26th and 28th Battalions sustained heavy casualties fighting off German counter-attacks. During this action Harry was killed in action. No eyewitness reports of his death seem to exist & so Harry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. His mother, Mary Ann Crellin, would receive a pension of 40/- per fortnight after his death.
While he has no known grave, his family organised a plaque to be installed among the Kings Park Honour Avenue trees.
