Crellin, Walter Henry

No.5702 – Private Walter Henry Crellin – 16^th Battalion AIF

Walter Henry Crellin was born in Brunswick, Melbourne Victoria in 1890 to Edward and Mary Crellin. The family moved across to WA while Walter was still young and took up residence in Hope Street White Gum Valley. Walter attended White Gum Valley Primary School and after leaving took up an apprenticeship as a hairdresser. He completed this apprenticeship and also worked as a labourer. During this time Walter spent two and a half years in the Fremantle Company of the Infantry Militia. Walter married Jean Isobel and later had four children; Walter in 1912; Lillian Myrtle in 1913; Eliza in 1915 and Allan in 1917. The family were living at Glyde St East Fremantle.

On the 2^nd March 1916 Walter offered his services at the recruitment office and was accepted into the AIF. He was found to be 5 feet 7; weight of 129 lbs; chest measurement of 35 ½ inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was Church of Christ. Initially allotted to No.56 Depot, on the 4^th April 1916 Wally was assigned to the 18^th Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion AIF. This group trained in WA for a few months until they departed Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship H.M.A.T. “Seang Choon” on the 18^th July 1916. After the long sea voyage the transport ship arrived at Plymouth England on the 9^th September 1916. During the voyage Wally had been admitted to the Ship’s isolation hospital with an undisclosed ailment. However on arrival in England he was transferred to Bulford Hospital which specialised in treating patients with Venereal disease. He spent 80 days in hospital before he was well enough to return to the 4^th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains.

On the 12^th December 1916 Wally left Folkestone England bound for France. After his arrival at Etaples he marched into the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot where he stayed until the end of 1916. On the 2^nd January 1917 Wally was taken on strength of the 16^th Battalion in the field. He joined the 16^th Battalion in the vicinity of Flers in the French winter. He fought with them over the next few months, seeing action at places like Stormy Trench in February 1916.

When the Germans retired to their Hindenburg Line, the 4^th Brigade AIF were given the task of breaking through and capturing the vital trenches around Bullecourt. Instead of being supported by artillery, the attackers would be assisted by tanks and after a false start on the 10^th April when the tanks failed to appear, the attack was rescheduled for the following day.

On April 11^th 1917 the infantry of the 4^th Brigade including the 16^th Battalion managed to break through the German lines but were not supported well by tanks and this allowed the Germans to fire unimpeded at the Australians with the result that casualties were horrendous and the survivors had to withdraw after running out of ammunition. During the assault on the 11^th April Walter was initially listed as Missing in Action but this was later changed to Killed in Action. There are no eyewitness reports as to his death and his body was not recovered. Therefore Walter Crellin is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. His wife and four children would all receive a pension after his death.

Walter’s brother, Harold Simpson Crellin had died with the 28^th Battalion on March 26^th 1917, and another brother Edward was serving with the 44^th Battalion but was returned home in 1918 after a special plea by Mary Crellin for her remaining son to be sent home from the war.

After the war was over Jean Crellin married a Gordon Brown and took up residence in Swanbourne. Of Wally’s children, Walter Harold Crellin married in 1936 and served in WW2 in the 25^th Light Horse Machine Gun Regiment, he died in 2001 aged 89; Allan served in WW2 in the Royal Australian Air Force Personnel Depot and died in 2003 aged 86; Lillian Myrtle married an Edwin Lawn in 1936 in Fremantle and died in Bicton in 1983 aged 74.

Below is a copy of the letter Mrs Crellin wrote to authorities to bring her son Edward home from the war and picture of Edward