Pte. William Crawford
British Army 14th Light Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps
To Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of VE Day, and honor those that fell. I thought I would share this with you, about a certain 13 men. This is photo of my Grandad, William Crawford's war diary written in 1942 as they where retreating from the Germans in the North Africa Campaign being pushed East towards the Suez Canal near El Alamein. He was part of the 7th Armoured Division the 'Desert Rats'.
Black Friday 29th May 1942: 'We are still on the move, buried Jerry prisoner. 4.30pm Dived bombed and machine gunned by Stukhas, 13 of our lads killed, 10 wounded, burying the bodies, stayed behind with MDS (medical dressing station) Surrender to Jerry if necessary, 3.30am buried Private Thomas, can't evacuate wounded, going to be surrounded'
Saturday 30th: '6.30 Trying to make our way out, carrying wounded, arrived on coast above Tobruk, lost 2 ambulances, 2 lorries, got first nights sleep for 4 nights, battle still raging'.
Sunday 31st: 'Had parade to lay and find particulars of missing and killed. 3.30 went to sea for bathing not been able to wash for days. 8.30 Had memorial service.
The names of the 13, are listed on the 2nd photo of the diary entry. Killed:
RIP.
- Pte. Masefield
- Pte. Rodd
- Pte. Hunt
- Pte. Cook
- Pte. Thomas
- Pte. Haveridge
- Pte. Lyons
- Pte. Stringer
- Drv. Payne
- Drv. Taylor
- & others
Wounded:
- Cpl. Byers
- Cpl Hughes
- Cpl Easton
- Pte. Hughes
- Pte Cornell
- Pte ???
- Pte. Heneby
- Pte. Morris
- Sgt. Harnom
- & others
