George Crosbie

When Crosbie volunteered in New Zealand he already had previous Territorial military experience – in the 6th HLI before he emigrated and subsequently in the 15th North Auckland Regiment.
He volunteered on 12th April 1915, and arrived at Trentham Camp near Wellington 3 days later. He sailed on 9th October and disembarked at Suez on 15th November. A month later, on 21st December, he sailed to Marsa Matruh 150 miles west of Alexandria on SS Noor el Bahr.
On 18th February 1916 he disembarked at Alexandria from SS Missir. A month later, 25th March, he was formally attached to 1st Battalion of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade and embarked with them for France on the 6th April 1916.

By comparing Crosbie’s Service Record with histories of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force it is possible to recover the broad details of his military service.
The dates of his movements coincide with those of what became known as the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. The first two battalions of this brigade left Wellington for Egypt on 10th October, the 1st Battalion arriving on 15th November and the second on the 18th. Both Battalions were stationed at Aerodrome Camp, Heliopolis. Between the 19th and 21st December the 1st Battalion moved to Marsa Matruh to join the Western Frontier Force. There they took part in operations against the Senussi sect which had invaded western Egypt from Libya until returning to Alexandria between 15th and 17th February. In the middle of March the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the brigade arrived in Egypt and Rifle Brigade became the 3rd Brigade of the new New Zealand Division. There was a degree of re-organization at this time and Crosbie’s Service Record shows this is when he was officially attached to the 1st Battalion. The Brigade arrived at Marseilles between the 12th and 14th April and travelled north by train. The Brigade started its first tour of duty in the trenches on the night of 22nd/23rd May .east of Armentieres but the exact circumstances of Crosbie’s death are unknown.