John Temple Crouch - Military Record

John Temple Crouch enlisted on 29th December 1914 in the  8th Infantry Battalion In the Australian Imperial Force, with the rank of Private, Serial Number 1643 and was listed as Returned to Australia on the 24th January 1918

John Temple Crouch and Eva Booth Holland Wedding, Abt. 1922
shantimarty_1 originally shared this on 12 Feb 2013 
Born: 6th June 1890
Place of Birth: Templestowe, Victoria
Occupation: Orchardist
Religion: Church of England
Marital Status: Single
Date of Enlistment: 29th December 1914
Locality on Enlistment: Doncaster, Victoria
Place of Enlistment: Melbourne, Victoria
Age on enlistment: 24yrs
Service: Australian Infantry
Service Number: 1643
Rank on enlistment: Private
Roll title: 8th Infantry Battalion, 1st to 6th Reinforcements (December 1914 - June 1915)
Conflict: First World War
Date unit embarked Australia: 19 February 1915
Place of embarkation: Melbourne, Victoria
Ship embarked on: HMAT A54 Runic
Displacement: 12,490 tons. 
Average speed: 13 knots. 
Owners: Oceanic SN Co Ltd Liverpool
Commonwealth control ended 27th November 1917.
Rank in unit served: Gunner
Promoted Temporary Lance Corporal: 4th September 1917
Promoted Bombardier: 1st September 1916
Unit served in: 24th Field Artillery Brigade
Wounded in action: 28th June 1917
4th October 1917: (GSW Left Thigh-Compound Fracture Femur-Left Leg Amputated)
Hospitalized (Illness): 19th August 1915 (Influenza)
Theatre of service: Gallipoli, France
Returned to Australia: 24th January 1918
On Board: Hospital Ship ‘Dundee Castle’
Disembarked Australia: 10th March 1918
Date of Discharge: 24th September 1918
Died: 22nd January 1960
Aged: 69yrs
Place of Death: Dunolly, Victoria
Place of Burial: Dunolly Old Pioneer Cemetery, Dunolly, Victoria
With his wife

Headstone, Dunolly Old Pioneer Cemetery, Dunolly, Victoria
Next of kin: Father, Percival Crouch, Shepparton, Victoria

Honours and Awards
Military Medal
Service Number: 1643
Rank: Bombardier
Unit: 53rd Australian field Artillery
Service: Australian Imperial Force
Conflict: First World war, 1914-1918
Award: Military Medal
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 24th January 1918 on page 83 at position 4
London Gazette: 17th September 1917 on page 9613 at position 9
'The Battery at MORCHIES was heavily shelled and ammunition dumps on fire on the 23rd of April. This N.C.O. under very heavy shell fire, and at great personal risk, assisted in extinguishing the fire. Again on the 30th April, the lines to the O.P. were out and he went out under heavy shell fire and repaired them.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 9
Date: 24 January 1918 

Bar to Military Medal
Service number: 1643
Rank: Corporal
Unit: Royal Australian Artillery
Service: Australian Imperial Force
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Award: Bar to Military Medal
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 2nd May 1918 on page 1035 at position 74
London Gazette: 17th December 1917 on page 13187 at position 1

Medals Awarded

1/ Military Medal with 1st Bar attached
2/ 1914-1915 Star
3/ British War Medal
4/ Victory Medal
His Father was: Percival Crouch
Born: 18th May 1859
Place of Birth: Collingwood, Victoria
Died: 25th August 1923
Aged: 64yrs
Place of Death: Shepparton, Victoria
Place of Burial: Shepparton Cemetery, Shepparton, Victoria

Headstone, Shepparton Cemetery, Shepparton, Victoria


His Mother Was: 

Selome Goodman Russell
Date of marriage: 1898
Place of marriage: Victoria
Born: 21st September 1860
Place of Birth: Pewsey, Wiltshire, England
Died: 3rd July 1950
Aged: 89yrs
Place of Death: Shepparton, Victoria
Place of Burial: Not Known
She had one son with Percival Crouch in 1890. 

John Temple married: 

Eva Booth Holland
Date of marriage: 1920
Place of marriage: Victoria
Born: 19th November 1896
Place of Birth: Shepparton, Victoria
Died: 2nd January 1988
Aged: 91yrs
Place of Death: Melbourne, Victoria
Place of Burial: Dunolly Old Pioneer Cemetery, Dunolly, Victoria
With his wife
They had five children during their marriage. 

Source: Ron Mills 2026