Frank Percy Crozier (1 January 1879 – 31 August 1937) was a British military officer. His first military experience was in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

(1899–1902) and with the

Royal West African Frontier Force The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognition ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he commanded the 9th (Service) Battalion of the

107th (Ulster) Brigade The 107th Brigade, later 107th (Ulster) Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army which saw service in the First World War. The brigade was later reformed during the Cold War and finally disbanded in 2006, following the drawdown of ...

in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

earning him the promotion to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and command of the 119th (Welsh) Brigade in the Battle of Cambrai and German spring offensive. After the war, he briefly served as an advisor of the newly established

Lithuanian Army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (wh ...

and commander of the Auxiliary Division of the

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

at the time of the

Partition of Ireland The partition of Ireland ( ga, críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. I ...

. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the conduct of the auxiliaries during the conflict. Crozier became a pacifist and published several controversial autobiographical books.

Military career

Crozier was born in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

into a family of military traditions. Both of his grandfathers served in the army and his father was a major in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Crozier was not accepted into the military due to his short height and low weight. In 1898, seeking adventure, he travelled to Ceylon (

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

) and briefly worked at a tea plantation. At the outbreak of the

, Crozier travelled to South Africa and joined a mounted infantry regiment as the recruitment standards had been lowered. He saw action in the British colonies of

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

and

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

, including the

Battle of Spion Kop The Battle of Spioen Kop ( nl, Slag bij Spionkop; af, Slag van Spioenkop) was a military engagement between British forces and two Boer Republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, during the campaign by the British to r ...

. He also served in the

. Military duties took their toll and Crozier started drinking. In 1905, after a bout of

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, he returned to England and joined first the

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

and then the part-time 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Special Reserve The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the Haldane Reforms, military reforms im ...

. However, in 1908, he was forced to resign due to repeated dishonoured cheques and became bankrupt. Discredited at home, he sailed to Canada and took up farming. That did not last long and Crozier returned home in 1912 amidst the

Home Rule Crisis The Home Rule Crisis was a political and military crisis in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that followed the introduction of the Third Home Rule Bill in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in 1912. Unionists in Ulster, d ...

. In

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Crozier joined the

Ulster Volunteers The Ulster Volunteers was an Irish unionist, loyalist paramilitary organisation founded in 1912 to block domestic self-government ("Home Rule") for Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Volunteers were based in the ...

as a mercenary (his own description''A Brass Hat in No Man's Land'', p. 15.). At the outbreak of World War I in June 1914, many of Ulster Volunteers, including Crozier, joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and formed the 36th (Ulster) Division. Crozier was appointed second in command of the 9th (Service) Battalion of the

. He travelled in Ireland, Scotland, England recruiting soldiers and officers. He also dealt with morale issues: alcohol abuse (which was also a personal issue as he was a recovering alcoholic), casual sex, sexually transmitted diseases, looting. Due to these morale issues, in November 1915, the 107th Brigade was attached to the 4th Infantry Division and Colonel Crozier was made the commander of the 9th Battalion. The battalion was sent to its first battle near

Thiepval Thiepval (; pcd, Tièbvo) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens. Population First Wo ...

on 1 July 1916 as part of the larger

. On 20 November 1916, he was promoted

and given the command of the 119th (Welsh) Brigade of the 40th Division. The brigade suffered particularly heavy losses, some half of the men, in the

Battle of Estaires The Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, was fought from 7 to 29 April 1918 and was part of the German spring offensive in Flanders during the First World War. It was originally planned by General Erich Ludendorff as O ...

on 9–11 April 1918. He commanded the 119th Brigade until he was demobilised on 16 August 1919, nine months after the

armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

which ended the war. On 19 September 1919, along with several other British officers, Crozier joined the newly established

as an advisor to the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence. An exception was made for him and he was granted the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

of the Lithuanian Army. The

British Foreign Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign ...

sought to organise an unified army of Lithuanian, Latvians, Estonians, and Poles commanded by Crozier to drive out any remaining German forces, including the

Bermontians The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was a pro-German military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War in 1918–20. History The Western Russian Volunteer Army, unlike the pro- Entente Volunteer Army, was supp ...

, from the area. However, the plan failed when Lithuanians refused to allow Polish troops into their territory. On 1 March 1920, Crozier resigned his duties with the Lithuanian Army. While there was an increasing resentment of foreigners' influence within the Lithuanian Army, Crozier left on good terms with the Lithuanian government. After the brief stint in Lithuania, Crozier returned to Ireland and became commander of the Auxiliary Division of the

in July 1920. Crozier and his men guarded

Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in an attack upon a Brit ...

before his execution. He quickly became disillusioned with the conduct of

Black and Tans Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

and Auxiliary Division of the

. In February 1921, he dismissed 21 auxiliaries under his command after their raids on

Trim, County Meath Trim () is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the River Boyne and has a population of 9,194. The town is noted for Trim Castle – the largest Norman castle in Ireland. One of the two cathedrals of the United Dioceses of Meat ...

and

Drumcondra, Dublin Drumcondra () is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council. The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area. History The village of Drumcondra was the central a ...

that left two young men dead. His superior, the Chief of Police in Ireland

Henry Hugh Tudor Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hugh Tudor, KCB, CMG (14 March 1871 – 25 September 1965) was a British soldier who fought as a junior officer in the Second Boer War (1899–1902), and as a senior officer in the First World War (1914–18), b ...

, ordered the auxiliaries reinstated. Crozier resigned in protest. This made it impossible for him to find other official employment. Crozier unsuccessfully ran in the 1923 general election for the Labour Party in Portsmouth Central. He turned to writing and lecturing to earn a living, though unpaid bills and dishonoured cheques continued to follow him. Crozier's books were politically controversial, viewed by the Government they criticised as inaccurate, and dismissive toward Crozier as "discredited." He became a pacifist, an active member of the

Peace Pledge Union The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes pacifism, based in the United Kingdom. Its members are signatories to the following pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determine ...

, and a speaker for the

League of Nations Union The League of Nations Union (LNU) was an organization formed in October 1918 in Great Britain to promote international justice, collective security and a permanent peace between nations based upon the ideals of the League of Nations. The League of N ...

. He died in 1937 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Bibliography

*, 1930 *''Impressions and Recollections'', 1930 *''Five Years Hard: being an account of the fall of the

Fulani Empire The Sokoto Caliphate (), also known as the Fulani Empire or the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the F ...

and a picture of the daily life of a Regimental Officer among the peoples of Western Sudan'', 1932 *''Ireland for Ever'', 1932 *''The Men I Killed'', 1937

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crozier, Frank Percy 1879 births 1937 deaths British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Ulster Volunteers British Army generals of World War I Lithuanian generals British Army brigadiers Bermudian military personnel Royal Irish Constabulary officers Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British expatriates in Nigeria

Military career

Bibliography

Further reading

References