Captain Gerard Bruce Crole (7 June 1894 – 31 March 1965) was a British colonial administrator, who represented Scotland in international rugby union and cricket,
[Bath (2007), p. 104] and was also a World War I
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
credited with five aerial victories.
Biography
Early life and education
Crole was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the only son
of Gerard Lake Crole (1855–1927), an
advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...
who served as
Sheriff of Lothian and Peebles,
and Elizabeth Ann (née Coats) (1857–1945). He was educated at
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, is now part of the Se ...
, and
University College, Oxford
University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the univer ...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1914.
Military service
Crole, having served in the Oxford
Officers' Training Corps
The Officers' Training Corps (OTC), more fully called the University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), are military leadership training units operated by the British Army. Their focus is to develop the leadership abilities of their members whilst ...
, was commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant in the
2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
The 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was first raised in 1685 by the Earl of Peterborough as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse by merging four existing troops of horse.
Renamed several t ...
on 15 August 1914, but this was cancelled on 1 December, and he was then commissioned again on 4 January 1915 as a temporary second lieutenant in the
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...
.
On 28 June 1916 he was transferred to the
General List
The General Service Corps (GSC) is a corps of the British Army.
Role
The role of the corps is to provide specialists, who are usually on the Special List or General List. These lists were used in both World Wars for specialists and those not allo ...
, and appointed an
observer
An observer is one who engages in observation or in watching an experiment.
Observer may also refer to:
Computer science and information theory
* In information theory, any system which receives information from an object
* State observer in con ...
in the Royal Flying Corps, with the rank of temporary lieutenant from 1 July. On 27 April 1917 he was appointed a
flying officer with seniority from 24 February 1916.
He was assigned to No. 40 Squadron to fly
Nieuport Scout
The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little larger than earlier ...
s. While operating between
Douai
Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...
and
La Bassée
La Bassée () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
Population
Heraldry
Personalities
La Bassée was the birthplace of the painter and draftsman Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761–1845).
Another native was Ignace François ...
on 25 June 1917 he shot down two
Albatros D.V
The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatro ...
's within an hour (one shared with Lt. L. G. Blaxland). His third victory came on 2 July, and his fourth on 15 August, both D.V's, in the same area. His fifth and final victory, which made him an ace, came on 23 August, when he destroyed a
DFW C near
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...
.
On 25 September 1917 he was awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
. His citation read:
:Temporary Lieutenant Gerard Bruce Crole, General List and Royal Flying Corps.
:For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in aerial fighting on many occasions. By his determination and fine offensive spirit in attacking hostile aircraft he has continually proved his superiority over the enemy, destroying several enemy machines and driving many others down out of control.
On 13 September 1917 he was appointed a
flight commander with the temporary rank of captain, and reassigned to No. 43 Squadron. On 22 November, his
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...
was shot down by
Fritz Rumey
Leutnant Fritz Rumey (3 March 1891 – 27 September 1918) ''Pour le Mérite'', Golden Military Merit Cross was a German fighter pilot in the First World War, credited with 45 victories. He was one of only five German soldiers who won both of ...
.
Initially listed as missing,
he was later confirmed to be an unwounded prisoner of war,
and spent the rest of the war at
Holzminden camp in Germany.
[Shores ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 125.]
After the armistice in November 1918, Crole was repatriated, and on 6 May 1919 he was finally removed from the RAF and placed on the Unemployed List. He then returned to Oxford University in October 1919 to further his studies, taking a diploma in anthropology.
Sporting career
As a student before the war Crole had joined the
Oxford University Rugby Football Club
The Oxford University Rugby Football Club (Oxford University RFC or OURFC) is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.
History
Men's team
...
,
and gained a rugby
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
, playing
three-quarter back Three-quarter back is the back-line positions of wing or centre in either rugby league or rugby union.
See also
*Rugby league positions
*Rugby union positions
*Half back (disambiguation)
A halfback, half back, or half-back may refer to:
* , in ru ...
against Cambridge in December 1913, in the last
Varsity Match
A varsity match is a fixture (especially of a sporting event or team) between two university teams, particularly Oxford and Cambridge. The Scottish Varsity rugby match between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh at Murray ...
before the outbreak of hostilities. He also represented
Oxford against Cambridge at golf in 1913 and 1914.
Rugby union
Post-war Crole continued in his sporting achievements, being selected to represent in the
1920 Five Nations Championship
The 1920 Five Nations Championship was the sixth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship, and the first played since the 1914 Games due to World War I. Including th ...
, playing in four matches between 1 January and 20 March 1920 and scoring three
tries. In the first game against at
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
on 1 January 1920 Crole scored the only try to win the game for Scotland. The game against was played at
Inverleith
Inverleith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Lìte'') is an inner suburb in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills a ...
on 7 February 1920. Crole did not score, but again Scotland won the game. In the game against Ireland, again at Inverleith, on 28 February, Crole scored two tries, for a Scottish victory. In the final match of the tournament, against at
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
on 20 March 1920, Crole was pitted against the English winger
Cyril Lowe
Cyril Nelson "Kit" Lowe, (7 October 1891 – 6 February 1983) was an English rugby union footballer who held England's international try scoring record for over sixty years, a First World War flying ace credited with nine victories, and suppose ...
, like himself a former RFC flying ace. Scotland lost the game.
Crole's older half brother,
Phipps Turnbull
Phipps Turnbull was a Scottish international rugby union player.Bath, p139
He was capped for six times between 1901 and 1902. He also played for Edinburgh Academicals RFC.
His half-brother Gerard Crole was also capped for Scotland, and played ...
, had previously gained a six rugby caps for Scotland in 1901–02, and played for
Edinburgh Academicals
The Edinburgh Academical Football Club, also known as Edinburgh Accies, is a rugby union club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club is currently a member of the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of Scottish club rugby. Its home ground is Raeburn Pl ...
.
[Bath (2007), p. 139]
Cricket
Crole was also a keen cricketer, having played for his school, Edinburgh Academy, nine times between 1909 and 1912 against other schools, and twice for a combined Public Schools team against the
MCC at
Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
in August 1912.
In 1920 he played in two
first-class matches, firstly for
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
against
the Army at the
University Parks
The Oxford University Parks, commonly referred to locally as the University Parks, or just The Parks, is a large parkland area slightly northeast of the city centre in Oxford, England. The park is bounded to the east by the River Cherwell, thoug ...
, Oxford, on 9 to 11 June. In his first
innings
An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is bot ...
Crole made 47
runs (including a six and 4 fours) before being
caught
Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground.
If the ball h ...
. He was out for eight in his second innings, but also made one catch.
In his second first-class game Crole made his one and only appearance for the
Scotland national team in a game against Ireland at
Raeburn Place
Raeburn Place is the main street of the suburb of Stockbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland, and the name of the playing fields there.
Rugby
The first ever international rugby football game was played on the playing fields at Raeburn Place on 27 Ma ...
, Edinburgh, on 22 to 24 July. In his first innings Crole made 35 runs (including 3 fours) before being out
lbw. In the second innings Crole
bowled
In cricket, the term bowled has several meanings. First, is the act of propelling the ball towards the wicket defended by a batsman.
Second, it is a method of dismissing a batsman, by hitting the wicket with a ball delivered by the bowler. (Th ...
three Irish batsmen, and Scotland won by 9 wickets.
Colonial career
Crole joined the
Sudan Political Service
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ar, السودان الإنجليزي المصري ') was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt in the Sudans region of northern Africa between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day ...
in 1920. He first served as Assistant
District Commissioner at
Wad Madani
Wad Madani ( ar, ود مدني, Wad Madanī) or Madani is the capital of the Al Jazirah state in east-central Sudan.
"Wad Madani" (population), Microsoft Encarta, Online Encyclopedia 2001.
Wad Madani lies on the west bank of the Blue Nile, n ...
,
Blue Nile Province until 1923, then as Commandant of the Sub-Mamurs' Training School at
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
until 1926, from when he was Assistant District Commissioner, and then District Commissioner at
El Fasher
Al Fashir, Al-Fashir or El Fasher ( ar, الفاشر) is the capital city of North Darfur, Sudan. It is a large town in the Darfur region of northwestern Sudan, northeast of Nyala, Sudan.
"Al-Fashir" (description)
''Encyclopædia Britann ...
,
Darfur
Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...
until 1929. He then served as Deputy Governor at
Wau,
Bahr el Ghazal Bahr el-Ghazal (Arabic بحر الغزال , also transliterated ''Bahr al-Ghazal'', ''Baḩr al-Ghazāl'', ''Bahr el-Gazel'', or versions of these without the hyphen) may refer to two distinct places, both named after ephemeral or dry rivers.
Chad ...
until 1932.
On 8 June 1932 received permission from
the King to wear the
Order of the Nile
The Order of the Nile (''Kiladat El Nil'') was established in 1915 and was one of the Kingdom of Egypt's principal orders until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. It was then reconstituted as the Republic of Egypt's highest state honor.
Sultana ...
(4th class) which had been awarded to him by
HM the King of Egypt, "in recognition of valuable service rendered ... while in the employment of the Sudan Government". Crole then served as District Commissioner at
Kosti, White Nile Province until 1934, then Deputy Governor,
Ed Dueim
Ed Dueim (Arabic الدويم, also Romanized as ''ad-Duwaym'', ''Ad Douiem'', ''Al Dewaym'', ''Dewaim'' etc.) is one of the largest cities along the White Nile in Sudan.
Ed Dueim is on the west bank of the White Nile, between Khartoum and K ...
, White Nile Province, and District Commissioner at
Nyala
The lowland nyala or simply nyala (''Tragelaphus angasii'') is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus ''Tragelaphus'', previously placed in genus ''Nyala''. It was first described in ...
, Darfur in 1936. His final posting in 1937 was as Deputy Governor of El Fasher, where he remained until leaving the service in 1944.
After leaving the Sudan Political Service he worked as a
schoolmaster
The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both secondary and preparatory, and a few Indian boarding schools (such as The Doon School) that were modelled after B ...
. Crole died in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
on 31 March 1965, and is buried in the family plot at
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...
,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland.
Personal life
Crole married Katherine Margaret House (1900–1997) in
Malvern
Malvern or Malverne may refer to:
Places Australia
* Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
* Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
* City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne
* Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...
in 1921, and they had three sons; Gerard Malcolm (1922–2008), Robin (b. 1926) and Colin (b. 1928).
See also
*
List of Scottish cricket and rugby union players
*
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crole, Gerard Bruce
1894 births
1965 deaths
Cricketers from Edinburgh
People educated at Edinburgh Academy
Alumni of University College, Oxford
Oxford University RFC players
Oxford University cricketers
Royal Field Artillery officers
Royal Flying Corps officers
British World War I flying aces
Scottish flying aces
Recipients of the Military Cross
British World War I prisoners of war
World War I prisoners of war held by Germany
Scottish cricketers
Scottish rugby union players
Scotland international rugby union players
Sudan Political Service officers
Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard
Rugby union players from Edinburgh
Rugby union wings
British expatriates in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan