Rfn
Archibald Henry Basil Cruller
Information about birth
Date of birth: 27/08/1895 |
Place of birth: Kaeo, Northland, New Zealand |
General information
Profession: Bushman |
Army information
Country: New Zealand |
Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
Rank: Rifleman |
Service number: 31401 |
Enlistment date: 26/07/1916 |
Enlistment place: Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand |
Units: — New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
Place of death: Wolf Farm, Passchendaele, Belgium |
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
Age: 22 |
Memorial
Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: NZ Apse Panel 7 |
Distinctions and medals 2
British War Medal Medal |
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
#1 | Place of birth | ||
#2 | Enlistment place | ||
#3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
On 12 October 1917, due to the falling artillery barrage, the difficult condition of the landscape (mud and barbed wire ) and the heavy enemy shelling and machinegun fire the 2nd Battalion New Zealand Rifle Brigade suffered a lot of casualties. After being reported missing for 6 months, Archibald was reported killed in action. He must have died in the area of the Valley of the Ravebeek - Wolf Farm.
Sources 2
Austin W.S. The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Uckfield, The Naval | Military Press Ltd, 2007) 250-262. Sources used |
McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018). Sources used |
More information 3
Online Cenotaph (Auckland Museum) https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C3508 |
The NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=58675 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/847414 |