BACKGROUND

Walter Crosse was born c1887 in Fairfield, England.

ATTESTATION

Walter travelled to Enoggera on the 19th August 1918 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a married man with one child and gave his occupation as physician & surgeon. His next of kin was his wife, Gladys, of Murwillumbah. Walter gives his permanent address as c/- A.E. Budd of Murwillumbah.

Item number 14 on the attestation states- for married men, widowers with children and soldiers who are the sole support of widowed mother- do you understand that no separation allowance will be issued in respect of your service beyond an amount which together with pay would reach 8 shillings per day. Walter also agreed to allot three fifths of the pay payable to him from time to time during his service to the support of his wife

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER

On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”

OATH

He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Walter Crosse, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

SO, HELP ME, GOD.” 

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MEDICAL EXAMINATION

Walter was 31years 6 months old. He was 5ft 10inches Tall (1.78m) and weighed 9st 10lbs (61kgs). He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Walter was Church of England. He was appointed the rank of Captain

CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER

The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: - Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.

He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service. This statement is also typed on Page 3- “war precaution 41c complied with”

This is the false statements on attestation paper.

“41c. (1) For the purposes of this Regulation, the word ‘recruit’ includes any person called upon by proclamation under the Defence Act 1903–1915 or under any other Act to enlist in or serve as a member of His Majesty’s Naval or Military Forces, and any person who presents himself for medical examination to determine his fitness to serve as a member of His Majesty’s Naval or Military Forces.

(2) Any recruit who knowingly makes a false statement in answer to any question put to him by a medical officer in pursuance of his duty during or in connexion with a medical examination to determine his fitness to serve as a member of His Majesty’s Naval or Military Forces shall be guilty of an offence against the Act.

(3) If in any prosecution it is proved that a recruit has made a false statement, the onus of proving that he did not know such statement to be false shall rest upon the recruit.’’

VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO EGYPT

On the 14th September 1918 Walter embarked on the Port Darwin. As a medical officer, Walter was a commissioned officer and would have travelled in considerably greater comfort than the regular recruits. While the enlisted men were packed into troop decks below, sleeping in long rows of hammocks or crowded bunks, Walter would almost certainly have shared an officers' cabin, usually with one or two other officers. The accommodation was still cramped by civilian standards, but it offered privacy, a proper bunk, a writing desk and access to officers' dining facilities.

Rather than spending his days drilling with rifle and bayonet, Walter's responsibilities began the moment the ship sailed. A troopship carrying hundreds or even thousands of men was effectively a floating military community, and the medical officers were responsible for maintaining its health throughout the voyage.

A typical day for Walter would have included:

·      Conducting sick parade each morning for men reporting illness.

Inspecting sanitation arrangements, latrines and washing facilities.

Monitoring food preparation and water supplies.

Treating common ailments such as influenza, colds, diarrhoea, seasickness, skin infections and minor injuries.

Supervising orderlies attached to the medical staff.

Keeping medical records and reports for the voyage.

Inspecting troop quarters to ensure cleanliness and ventilation.

One of the greatest concerns was infectious disease. The AIF had learned from earlier military campaigns that disease could disable more men than enemy bullets. Walter would therefore have paid close attention to overcrowding, cleanliness and any signs of outbreaks among the troops.

When not engaged in medical duties, he would have mixed with the other officers. Officers often dined together, played cards, read, wrote letters home, discussed military matters and attended lectures or briefings. Walter would also have become acquainted with the officers of the unit he was attached to, many of whom he would continue serving alongside in Egypt and later at the front.

Physical training still occurred aboard ship. Walter would likely have supervised aspects of the men's health during these activities and occasionally participated himself. Troopships commonly organised route marches around the decks, physical exercises, signalling practice and military lectures to keep the men occupied during the long weeks at sea. Walter's voyage as one spent balancing professional duties with the social life of the officers' mess. He would have enjoyed more comfortable accommodation and better food than the men under his care, but he also carried significant responsibility for the health of hundreds of soldiers during the journey to Egypt

EGYPT OCTOBER 1918

The ship arrived in Egypt on the 20^th October, 1918. Upon arrival in Egypt, Walter's work would immediately intensify. The medical officers were heavily involved in examining troops, managing camp sanitation, treating illnesses brought on by the harsh Egyptian climate and preparing the men for active service. While the ordinary soldier was learning military skills, Walter was helping ensure that those soldiers remained fit enough to fight. His responsibilities only increased once the troopship reached the crowded training camps around Cairo. On 19 October 1918 Walter was taken on strength of the 14th Australian General Hospital at Port Said. This was a major medical facility situated near the northern entrance to the Suez Canal and served as an important treatment and administrative centre for Australian troops throughout the campaign. Here Walter would have been involved in treating the steady flow of sick and wounded soldiers arriving from the advancing forces in Palestine and Syria. Although the great battles of the campaign were nearing their end, disease, exhaustion, accidents and the lingering effects of wounds continued to place heavy demands on military doctors.

OTTOMAN EMPIRE ARMISTICE OCTOBER 1918

The armistice with the Ottoman Empire was signed only days later, on 30 October 1918. For Walter and his fellow medical officers this did not mean an immediate reduction in duties. The end of hostilities brought new challenges as troops were redistributed, hospitals reorganised and plans made for the eventual demobilisation of the Australian forces in the Middle East.

The final year of Walter's service was very different from the intense fighting years that had preceded it. By late 1918 the war in the Middle East had drawn to a close, but the work of the medical services remained demanding. Thousands of troops still required medical care, units were constantly being reorganised, and preparations were underway for the eventual return of the AIF to Australia.

JANUARY 1919 1^st LIGHT HORSE FIELD AMBULANCE

On New Year's Day 1919 Walter was struck off strength of the Australian Medical Division at Abbassia, one of the great military centres outside Cairo. The following day he joined the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance. Although the name suggests a stationary hospital, a field ambulance was actually a mobile medical unit that accompanied mounted troops and provided frontline medical care. As a medical officer Walter would have been responsible for examining soldiers, treating illness and injury, conducting medical inspections and ensuring the overall health of the men under his care.

MOVING BETWEEN REGIMENTS EARLY 1919

The early months of 1919 saw him move frequently between mounted units. On 2 February he was appointed Medical Officer to the 2nd Light Horse Regiment and shortly afterwards formally attached to that regiment. These transfers were not unusual. Following the end of the war, many officers were moved wherever their services were most needed as units were reduced in strength and preparations for repatriation gathered pace.

Walter's days were likely filled with routine but essential duties. He would have conducted sick parades, treated lingering tropical ailments, respiratory illnesses and skin complaints, inspected sanitation arrangements and assessed soldiers' fitness for continued service or return home. Many Light Horsemen had spent years campaigning in harsh desert conditions, and a significant number suffered from chronic health problems arising from long service.

In March 1919 he transferred from attachment with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment to the 1st Light Horse Regiment before moving again to the 2nd Light Horse General Area. Such postings suggest that Walter was being employed wherever an experienced medical officer was required rather than remaining permanently with one regiment. The war was over, but the army still had thousands of men scattered across Egypt and Palestine requiring medical supervision.

On 30 March he was temporarily detached to what was recorded as the Composite Force. During this period various temporary formations were created from personnel drawn from different units. Walter's medical experience would have been invaluable in caring for these mixed groups of soldiers, many of whom were awaiting transport, reassignment or discharge.

MAY 1919 TO JULY 1919

Further transfers followed in May. He served with the 2nd Light Horse Training or Transport establishment before being detached to the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment. At Quesne, in the Nile Delta, where many Australian units were stationed during the post-war period, Walter would have continued his work as a regimental doctor. His patients were no longer preparing for battle but were instead waiting, often impatiently, for their turn to return home. Medical officers played an important role in maintaining morale and health during these months of uncertainty.

By June 1919 Walter was serving with the 4th Field Ambulance. The rapid succession of postings throughout the first half of the year reflects the administrative upheaval accompanying the winding down of the Australian force in the Middle East. Experienced officers were continually reassigned as units merged, reduced their numbers or ceased to exist altogether.

DUTY IN THE UK JULY 1919

Finally, on 23 July 1919, Walter embarked from Port Said aboard the transport Tagus for duty in the United Kingdom. Like many Australian officers, he did not return directly home. Instead, he spent several months in Britain assisting with the administration and repatriation of Australian personnel. During this period, he was granted periods of leave in October and again in December, providing opportunities to enjoy civilian life after years of military service.

GOING HOME DECEMBER 1919

At last, on 18 December 1919, Walter embarked for Australia aboard the Königin Luise. The long voyage home marked the end of more than five years of service that had taken him from Australia to Egypt, through the campaigns of the Middle East and finally to Britain.

APPOINTMENT TERMINATED JANUARY 1920

When his appointment was terminated on 3 January 1920, his military career formally came to an end.

For Walter, the final months of service were less about battlefield medicine and more about shepherding an army home. His constant transfers between Light Horse regiments, field ambulances and administrative formations reflect the enormous task of caring for thousands of Australian soldiers as the wartime force gradually dissolved and the men prepared to resume their civilian lives.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Walter was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

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