CRICHTON, Robert Anderson

Robert Anderson Crichton was one of seven children of Andrew Brown Crichton and his wife, Sarah, nee Dobson. He was the fifth child with five sisters and one brother, Andrew. At the time he enlisted he was 24 years' old, single and workign as a carpenter. In 1914, he had been living at 714 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, but by 1915, was living with his mother at 70 Gipps St. East Melbourne. It is not clear what caused him to move: his father had died in 1899, but perhaps it was simply in preparation for joining the armed forces.

He enlisted on 6 July, 1915, and was sent to Broadmeadows for training. where he was placed in the 13th Reinforcements for the 7th Battalion. This all-Victorian Battalion had fought at Gallipoli, with many casualties at both Anzac Cove and Krithia. Four of its soldiers won Victoria Crosses in the campaign. The new recruits embarked on 29 December, 1915, on board HMAT Demosthenes A64, joining the 7th Battalion in Egypt following the withdrawal from Gallipoli. From here, they went to England, then to France and the Western Front.

Bob Crichton was taken on strength with the 7th Battalion on 18 February, 1916. Conditions in the trenches were bad and a month later, on 31 March, he was in hospital, not rejoining his unit for another two months. He was again ill on 1 July and sent to hospital again in France on 29 July, before returning to his battalion. By now, they were fighting at Pozieres, and he probably joined them there, before moving to the Ypres salient in Belgium. It was here that Bob Crichton was wounded, with a gunshot wound to his left buttock in late September. He was returned to hospital in England and placed in the east Ludo War Hospital at Harehills. From there he returned to Australia on 22 February,1917,  on board the Karrola and on 9 May, 1917, he was discharged as medically unfit. 

Robert Crichton returned to work as a carpenter. He lived at 90 Bell St., Preston, with his mother Sarah, in 1919. In 1923, he married Elizabeth Annie Ross, known as 'Beth' or 'Annie, and in 1924, they moved from Bell St., to 160 Brighton Rd., St Kilda Central. by 1931, they were living at 7 Robert St., St Kilda, in 1936 at 8 Blessingont St., St Kilda and, in retirement, in 1949, at 31 Elwood St., Brighton. 

Robert Crichton died on 11 May, 1951.