Virtual War Memorial | Richard (Dick) CRAZE

Richard (Dick) CRAZE Update Details

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CRAZE, Richard

Service Numbers:	VX66955, V125464
Enlisted:	8 December 1941
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	Australian Army Ordnance Corps
Born:	Henty, New South Wales, Australia, 4 July 1919
Home Town:	Henty, Greater Hume Shire, New South Wales
Schooling:	Henty, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Illness while a POW of the Japanese, Borneo, 2 April 1945, aged 25 years
Cemetery:	Labuan War Cemetery Panel 27 Labuan Memorial, Labuan Memorial, Labuan, Malaysia
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Henty Memorial Park Taylor & Craze Memorial Plaque, Wagga Wagga Sandakan Prisoner of War Memorial

World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939:	Involvement Private, VX66955
8 Dec 1941:	Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, Australian Army Ordnance Corps, Dept Vet Affairs WW2 Service card shows Date of enlistment 8 Dec 1941 Royal Park VIC
8 Dec 1941:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, VX66955
1 Jan 1943:	Imprisoned NSW. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of VX66955 Private Richard Craze, Australian Army Ordnance Corps, . He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POW's who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POW's were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Private Craze, aged 25, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 2 April 1945.(Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)
1 Jan 1944:	Imprisoned Malaya/Singapore, Involved in Sandakan as POW date captured not known
Date unknown:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, V125464, 39 Infantry Battalion AMF

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Biography contributed by Graham Duke

Richard (Dick) CRAZE

Born son of Albert Edward and Harriet Ann Craze, one of 12 siblings.