Like his father, Richard Henry Crawley was a baker. He had undertaken a four year apprenticeship with Mr. A.C. Reilly of Brunswick, Victoria, had been working as a baker at Swan Hill in 1914, but was living at 390 Lygon St., Carlton in 1915, again working as a baker.He was the son of Richard Crawley and his wife, Sarah, nee Howe, who in 1903, were living in Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, perhaps above a bakery. Young Richard was married in 1903 to Ellen May Gale, known as Nella. They did not have any children.

Richard Henry Crawley enlisted on 13 July, 1915, aged 26 years and 7 months. He was sent for training at Broadmeadows and placed in the 16th Depot Battalion, then on 29 February, 1916 transferred to the No. 5 Tunnelling Corps, then on 7 May to the the 16th Depot Battalion at Bendigo. From here, the new recruits including Richard Crawley, were placed on board RMS Malwa, embarking on 23 April, 1916, for Egypt. on arrival, Richard Crawley was sent to Serapeum and on 14 May, 1916, was placed with the 11th Reinforcements for the 23rd Battalion and was taken on strength as a private with the 4th Field Bakery. On 6 June, he was sent to Alexandria and sailed for France on board the O.C Oriana, to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. He disembarked at Marseilles on 13 June, 1916 and presumably went to the front to join the 23rd Battalion .

Richard Crawley's record is silent about the next year or so of his military experiences, perhaps because, as a baker, he was always behind the lines. On 17 March, 1918, he was made Lance Corporal; on 12 August, he went back to England on leave from France and again on 21 September, 1918. On 10 October, he was made temporary Sergeant and, with the war ending on 11 November, this marked the end of hostilties, though not of military service.

On 22 February, 1919, Richard Crawley returned again to England from Havre, disembarking at Weymouth the next day. From Weymouth, he marched out to Heytesbury, then on 21 March, 1919, to Codford, where he was appointed Training Sergeant to the 2nd Training Brigade.

On 19 April, he was returned to Australia on board H S  Sardinia, leaving from Devonport and landing in Melbourne on 8 June, 1919. he was discharged from further service on 23 July, 1919, to return to civilian life. In 1924, he is marked on the Electoral Rolls as living at Nelson St., Sandringham with Nella, and working as a baker. He died in 1958 at Brunswick, Victoria, aged seventy.