condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

Edmond Douglas Crossley

-
Lay a poppy

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    Edmond Douglas AWMM
  • Surname
    Crossley AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Edmund AWMM
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ402465 AWMM
    • 402465 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    25 May 1918 Hanson Hanson
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW2 Mrs O. Crossley (wife), Hawera AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1940 AWMM Married/WWII AWMM
    Mrs O. Crossley, Hawera AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›
  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
  • Armed force / branch
    Air Force AWMM
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ402465 AWMM
    • 402465 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

Contribute ›
  • Medals and Awards
    • Military Cross (MC) AWMM
      1942 AWMM
      Citation for MC: (18 August 1942) :[4 Hill Depot, Far East] This officer [then a Plt. Off] was taken prisoner after participating in the land defence of Hong Kong. He planned an escape from the Prisoner of War Camp with two other military officers. At 0100 hours on 2nd February, 1942, they left the camp in a sampan and although fired on by the Japanese succeeded in landing and taking to the hills. They his during the day and travelled at night. In the early hours of 5th February, 1942, they were attacked by five armed bandits and in the early hours of 7th February, 1942 they were again attacked by 60 armed bandits. All three were badly beaten and robbed of their money and valuables. At dawn they were released , retaining their maps and food. After an exhausting march during which they narrowly escaped a Japanese party, they reached a guerilla camp, where they remained for five days, and were joined by three other officers. On 13th February, 1942, they continued their journey to Wai Chow and the remainder of their journey, though difficult, was without danger. AWMM
    • Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
      Citation for MiD: (NY1945): In recognition of distinguished service and devotion to duty during service in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, ferrying aircraft with the Mediterranean Air Transport Service. The RAF unit to which Sqn Ldr Crossley was attached in Hong Kong (Station Flight, Kai Tak) did not become operational as all their aircraft were destroyed in the first Japanese attack on their aerodrome. Plt Off Crossley was then attached to the Winnipeg Grenadiers as a machine-gunner in defence of Hong Kong Island, becoming a prisoner of war when the Island fell. Following his escape, he was taken care of by the British Consul, Chungking, and evacuated by China National Aviation Corp Airliner to Calcutta, via Lashio, Burma, spending two and a half months in a Calcutta hospital recuperating. AWMM
    • War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
    • New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 9 July 1940 Hanson Company manager/Civilian AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

Contribute ›

Prisoner of war

Contribute ›
  • Capture details
    WW2 POW - Hong Kong Camp, Hong Kong AWMM
    25 Dec 1941-2 February 1942 AWMM
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes

Last known rank

Contribute ›

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
  • He was the son of Mr F Crossley of Tinakori Road, Wellington.

    He escaped from the P.O.W. camp in Hong Kong where he was held in 1942.

    Sqn Ldr E. D. Crossley, MC, m.i.d.; Lower Hutt; born Wellington, 25 May 1917; company manager; p.w. 25 Dec 1941; escaped 2 Feb 1942. (Source: Hall, D.O.W. Escapes. p.32.) AWMM

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    20 January 1958 Hanson
    Hanson
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Edmond Douglas Crossley by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Edmond Douglas Crossley

Leave a note

Contribute ›

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›
  • External links
  • References
    • Hanson, C. (2001). By such deeds: honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999. Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
      p.144 AWMM
    • Bay of Plenty Beacon (Bay of Plenty) AWMM
      Volume 6, Issue 9, 28 September 1942, Page 8 AWMM
    • The New Zealand Herald AWMM
      Volume 79, Issue 24375, 10 September 1942, Page 2 AWMM
    • Auckland Star AWMM
      Volume LXXIII, Issue 13, 17 January 1942, Page 9 AWMM
    • The Evening Post AWMM
      Volume CXL, Issue 58, 6 September 1945, Page 6 AWMM
    • London Gazette AWMM
      18/08/1942 AWMM
    • Information on Japanese-run internment (prisoner of war) camps was kindly provided by Chris Brooks. More than 350 Japanese-run military prisoner-of-war and civilian internment and concentration camps were run throughout the "Far East" during World War II. AWMM
    • List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762). AWMM

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.