George Crago

First Name: 
George
Last Name: 
Crago
Date of Birth: 
Friday, February 28, 1896
Mother's Name: 
Barbara Crago nee Jones
Father's Name: 
William Crago
Date Enlisted: 
Tuesday, December 28, 1915
Rank at Enlistment: 
Private
Rank at Discharge: 
Private
Unit: 
3rd Battalion & 1st Light Trench Mortar Battery
Service: 
Infantry
Awards: 
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Date of Death: 
Wednesday, November 29, 1944
Place of Death: 
Borneo
Cause of Death: 
War related
Details: 

George Crago (Service No 5778) was born in Sydney.  His family moved to the Illawarra where he attended Corrimal Public School.

At enlistment George was 19 years old, single worked as miner and lived at Bulli, NSW.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A55 Kyarra with 3rd Battalion, 18th Reinforcement on 3rd June 1916.  The troops arrived in France on 10th August 1916 and George joined 3rd Battalion on 22nd August.

On 13th May 1917 he was transferred to 1st Light Trench Mortar Battery and served with them on the Western Front unti he was wounded on 22nd September 1917 and evacuated to hospital for treatment of shrapnel wounds to his buttocks.  He returned to duty on 6th May 1918.

George was returned to Australia in April 1919 and discharged on 4th July 1919.

On 8th August 1919 he re-enlisted (Service No 86168) and embarked for England on special guard duty. He arrived in England on 27th October 1919 and returned to Australia in 1920.

George was discharged from the AIF on 25th April 1920.

In 1921 he married Evelyn Livingstone.

George enlisted to fight in World War II (Service No NX43552) on 25th August 194 and served with 2/ 18th Australian Infantry Battalion.  He was taken prisoner by the Japanese in Singapore and sent to Sandakan Camp in Borneo where he died of illness on 29th November 1944,

George is buried in Labaun Cemetery Section Q, Row A, Plot 2.

George's service is commemorated on the Corrimal Public School Roll of Honour.

George's brothers Arthur and Francis also served with the AIF.

Sources: 
NAA: B2455, CRAGO G

Images