Craze, William John

Lieutenant William John Craze - 58th Battalion AIF

William John Craze was born in Zeehan Tasmania on the 23rd January 1892 to John and Sarah Craze. He had a few siblings born into the family, Mary in 1890, Martineau in 1893, Thomas in 1894 and Betrice in 1898. Unfortunately, the first two children died shortly after childbirth.

He was educated at the Church Grammar School in Launceston Tasmania and after leaving school undertook further study at the School of Mines.

During these early years in Tasmania William spent five years in the Grammar School Cadets and also spent one year as a Second Lieutenant in the 91st Infantry of the Citizens Military Forces.

He married Ivy Harris on the 29th May 1913 in Zeehan Tasmania and a daughter Roma, was born in 1915 in Tasmania. They subsequently spent time in Victoria and also Western Australia. Ivy's address on his enlistment was 42 Swanbourne Street Fremantle.

On the 15th April 1915 William enlisted into the AIF. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 6 feet 2 & 3/4 inches tall;

Weight - 12 stone 4;

Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Black.

Upon his successful enlistment William was sent to Broadmeadows Camp where he underwent basic infantry training. In July 1915 h applied for a commission and this was granted.

William was assigned as a Second Lieutenant to the 6th Reinforcements to the 24th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in Victoria from August to October 1915.

On the 27th October 1915 William and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses in Port Melbourne and set sail for Egypt. They disembarked at Suez on the 26th November 1915.

As the 24th Battalion was currently on Gallipoli, but would soon be evacuating the peninsula to return to Egypt, William was retained in the 6th Training Battalion. He spent December 1915 to February 1916 with this training battalion.

On the 23rd February 1916 William was transferred to the 58th Battalion, a newly created unit of the 5th Division AIF. As it was a new unit John and the other Officers spent the next few months in the Egyptian desert training. 

The 58th Battalion had been formed from splitting the 6th Battalion in half so there were a balance between experienced soldiers who had served on Gallipoli and brand new recruits. However the 5th Division remained in Egypt till June 1916.

In May 1916 William had been promoted to Lieutenant. On the 17th June 1916 the 58th Battalion left Alexandria and went to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 23rd June 1916.

Upon their arrival the 5th Australian Division were sent north to the Armentieres region. They soon had their first experience of life on the Western Front. They were heavily hit by shellfire in the trenches in their first weeks in the line.

On 19th July 1916 the 58th Battalion took part in an attack at Fromelles and the Battalion was mown down by the German fire. The 58th Battalion provided carrying parties and was also a reserve force. The reserve force (approximately half of the battalion) was ordered to attack late in the battle and was virtually annihilated by machine-gun fire; as a whole, the 58th suffered casualties equal to almost a third of its strength.

William was in the thick of the Fromelles action with the 58th Battalion but fortunately came through at least physically unscathed.

Despite the grievous losses in its battalions, the 5th Division continued to man the front in the Fromelles sector for a further two months. The Battalion were then sent to the Somme battlefield where they spent the 1916/17 French winter.

William remained with the 58th Battalion until March 1917 when he took a transfer to the Anzac Provost Corps. Soon after joining the Provost Corps William reported sick and was found to be suffering from TB of the lung. He was sent to hospital in England where he was also diagnosed with general debility.

After a few months in hospital in England he was found fit enough to be sent on duty to the 10th Training Battalion at Durrington Camp. On the 23rd July he was sent to the Australian Provost Corps Camp at Hurdcott. 

Unfortunately William's health was not improving so it was decided to send him back to Australia. On the 18th October 1917 William left England on a hospital ship for the return to Australia. He arrived back in Melbourne on the 10th December 1917.

William was discharged from the AIF on the 18th April 1918.

It appears William and Ivy then set up residence in Fremantle as three daughters were born in Fremantle, Ardyn in 1920 and Beryl and Sarah in 1923. Unfortunately, Sarah died shortly after birth.

In 1925 William and the family were living at Forrest Street Cottesloe and he was working as a clerk. They resided in Forrest Street for several years before moving to Broome Street Cottesloe.

William died in Hollywood Hospital Perth on the 15th March 1952 aged 60. He is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery. Ivy Craze died in 1982.