Lieutenant Colonel L M Crofts DSO

Lieutenant Colonel L M CroftsCommanded the 2nd Battalion The Queen’s Royal Regiment from 25th March 1919 to September.

Leonard Markham Crofts was born on the 17th December 1867.

He was commissioned into the East Lancashire Regiment on the 6th of March 1889 and later transferred to the West Surrey Regiment on the 23rd of March 1889 later Lieut on December 8th 1890 and then Captain in August 28th 1897.

He served in the South African War of 1899-1902 being preset at the Relief of Ladysmith and Colenso, for his service in South Africa he was mentioned in despatches September the 10th 1901.

He was assistant Prov, - Marshal in South Africa from 7th April 1901 to June 22nd 1902.
Crofts served in the Great War 1914-1918.

He went to France in 1914 with the 2nd Battalion Crofts was later promoted to Major and was wounded in November 1914 he rejoined the 2nd Battalion in December 20th 1914 and assumed command of the Battalion until the officers were up to strength

Crofts was transferred to the 1st Battalion in June 1915 as 2 IC. He was later promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.

On the 14th July 1916 during the battle of the Somme he was understudy to the Brigadier.
In August 1916 he was wounded for the second time.

On the 18th of April 1917 he returned to the 1st battalion from home on recovery from his wounds and assumed command of the 1st Battalion.

The closing days of 1917 Lieutenant-colonel Crofts who at the time was officiating as Brigadier was very severely wounded in both hands while witnessing a trench mortar demonstration near Winnezeele; Lieutenant S F Prior was also wounded while one man was killed, this was the end of the war in France for Crofts as he returned to England to recover.

Crofts last official duty before his retirement in 1920 was to command the Composite Battalion from Aldershot at the London victory march on the 18th of July 1920.

For his service in the Great War he received the Distinguished Service Order L/G 01/01/17 and mentioned in despatches on two occasion. L/G 15/06/16 & 04/01/17.

Lieutenant Colonel Crofts passed away in December 1942.

 

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