The Sinking of the R.M.S. Leinster
 

People on board

William Cowe Crichton

CRICHTON, William Cowe

William Cowe Crichton was born in Paisley, Scotland on the 12th of April 1900 to John Clark Crichton and Margaret Cowe. He was the second of their five children, though more may have been born after the 1911 census. When William was born John gave his occupation as ‘Iron Grinder’ and in 1901 he was ‘Engineer Marine’. By 1911 he was a ‘Domestic Appliance Engineer’ and the family had moved to Maryhill in Glasgow. They later moved to Falkirk.

William enlisted as an Air Mechanic with the Royal Air Force on the 8th of May 1918, just after his eighteenth birthday. His service record shows that he had been a Motor Mechanic for the three previous years, employed by William Milne & Sons of Falkirk. He gave his next-of-kin as his father, with an address at 4 Garrison Place, Falkirk. He was described as being 5 feet 3 inches in height, with black hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

On the 7th of September 1918 he was sent to the 19th Training Squadron which was based at the Curragh Camp in Ireland. According to a newspaper report he was returning to Scotland on his first leave when he travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th of October. He did not survive the sinking, but his body was recovered. He was buried in Grangegorman Military Cemetery in Dublin.

 

line

  Home        The Sinking        Commemoration        Poetry        People on board        Books & Bulletins        Contact        Privacy