19904, Driver Leonard George CRABBE
Unit: 8th Field Artillery Brigade, 31st Battery, AIF
Where Born: Geraldton, Western Australia
School: Geraldton State School, Geraldton
Address: “Fairview”, Mt Erin, via Geraldton
Occupation: Farmer and baker
Religion: Church of England
Marital status: Single
Parents: Samuel William and Emily Crabbe, Gregory Street, Geraldton
Description: Height 5’ 5½”; weight 150 lbs; chest 32/36”; dark complexion; brown eyes; brown hair
War Service: Leonard enlisted 27 Jan 1916 at Blackboy Hill, WA, aged 26 years 4 months. He spent two months at Blackboy Hill, where he was classified as a gunner. On 01 Apr 1916, he was sent for further training in Melbourne and was reclassified as a driver.
Leonard embarked per HMAT Medic from Melbourne, Victoria 20 May 1916, disembarked in Plymouth, England 18 Jul 1916. The Brigade proceeded to France 30 Dec 1916 arriving on New Year’s Day 01 Jan 1917. There were several actions culminating in the significant Battle of Messines which was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres campaign. 6,800 Australians became casualties at the Battle of Messines.
Killed in Action: 25 Jun 1917 at Messines, Belgium, aged 27 years
Cemetery: Pont d’Achelles Military Cemetery, Nieppe, France
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal 