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Private William Crawford

 

William Crawford was born (as David William Crawford) on 27 January 1894 at Clossdaw, Cootehill, County Monaghan, the second of ten children of labourer John Crawford and his wife Jane (née Hillocks). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Brandrum, Bellandoe, County Monaghan, with his parents and six siblings, and working as a farm servant.

By 1915 he was living at Derrycory, near Portadown, and employed as an attendant in the Antrim Asylum. On 12 August that year he married Emma Jone in the Lurgan Registrar's Office. The couple had two children over the next three years, and lived at 27 Lonsdale Street, Armagh, William working as a gardener.

Crawford enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Armagh on 10 December 1917, reporting for duty at Antrim three days later. He was issued regimental number 2755 (later Corps of Hussars No.72009). However according to the report of a medical board held at Belfast on 29 March 1918:

While training at Antrim Camp (15 Jan 1918) his general behaviour attracted attention, assumed peculiar attributes, vacant stare, refused to speak, "put boot lace round his throat". Admitted 15 Jan 1918 Belfast War Hospital, dull, stupid and inclined to the solitary. Patient was seen by Lt Col Dawson (29 Jan 1918) and considered weakminded.

The board recommended that he be discharged as permanently unfit, and this took place on 24 April 1918 (paragraph 392(xvi), King's Regulations). His military character was recorded as 'good'.